Two New R. Kelly Accusers Come Forward After Time’s Up Boycott

Two more women have accused R. Kelly of mental and physical abuse, days after Time’s Up announced a boycott against the alleged sexual abuser, BuzzFeed News reported Friday. The mother of an unnamed Chicago woman said her daughter has been “brainwashed” by Kelly since she was 17. She also said she has not spoken to her daughter for three months and that her daughter’s last words to her were: “Don’t ever give up on me.” Lizette Martinez—who began a relationship with Kelly in the 1990s when she was 17 and he was 28—said Kelly took her virginity, hit her five times, and told her to get an abortion after she allegedly became pregnant with his child. Martinez says she eventually miscarried—and now sees him as a “predator.” For the second time this week, R. Kelly denied abuse allegations in a statement, saying he was “heartbroken” and blamed the media for trying to “destroy” his legacy.