R. Kelly’s girlfriends defend him in second day of CBS coverage

Joycelyn Savage and Azriel Clary spoke to Gayle King in footage broadcast on Thursday morning.

March 07, 2019

CBS broadcast the second part of Gayle King's interview with R. Kelly on Thursday morning alongside an interview with Joycelyn Savage and Azriel Clary, the two women who live with the singer and both describe themselves as his "girlfriends."

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Both Savage, age 21, and 23-year-old Clary deny claims by their respective parents that they have been "brain-washed" by Kelly and are being held in Chicago against their will. Clary confirmed that she met Kelly when she was 17 but did not have sex with him when she was a minor. She went on to claim that her parents urged her to lie about her age to Kelly and film make "sexual videos" in order to blackmail him.

Clary also claimed that Kelly did not promise her a career in music at any point during their relationship. She said it was her mother who had pushed her into performing and that the pressure had led to her attempt suicide. CBS clarified this claim through medical records, learning that while Clary did attempt to take her own life she cited a relationship break up at the time.)

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Speaking in the studio between clips of her interview, King said that Kelly sat in on her time with the two women, despite having agreed not to. She went on to say that Kelly would "cough, very loudly" during the interview and that that the women were "certainly aware that he was there."

Clary's parents denied wanting money from Kelly a statement released on Wednesday. “All of the victims and parents cannot be lying,” they said. Meanwhile, Savage’s family held a news conference in Atlanta on Wednesday, in which they said their daughter was being controlled.

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Meanwhile, R. Kelly broke down in tears over his financial situation while talking to King. He claimed that “people have been stealing my money" after it emerged he was unable to pay $100,000 in bail money. On Wedneday he was taken into custody for failure to make child support payments.

Kelly told King he was unable to raise money while his ex-wife Andrea Kelly is "destroying" his name in the press. “How can I pay child support?" he asked. "How? If my ex-wife is destroying my name and I can't work? How can I work, how can I get paid, how can I take care of my kids?”

Kelly also denied Andrea's claims that he was violent towards her during their relationship. "I'm not disrespecting her by saying she's not telling the truth, I'm just being honest.” Kelly said.

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Kelly is currently on bail and faces 10 charges of aggravated sexual assault against four different women, three of whom were underage at the time of the alleged attacks. On Thursday it was reported police in Detroit are looking into a separate case of sexual assault against a 13-year-old dating back to 2001.

R. Kelly’s girlfriends defend him in second day of CBS coverage