Erykah Badu was booed by fans for showing love and support to disgraced R&B legend R.Kelly, during her at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago on Saturday, January 19, 2019.
According to Complex, during the concert, 47-years-old Erykah Badu said:
“I don’t know how everybody else feel about it, but I’m putting out a prayer right now for R.Kelly.”
When she made that statement, the audience at her gig was already getting upset but she continues with an appeal. She said:
“I hope he sees the light of day if he’s done all those things that we’ve seen on TV.”
While she was going on with her statement, a section of the crowd was heard booing and screaming “Fuck him!” prompting Erykah Badu to respond by saying “that’s not love.”
After the concert, some fans who attended Erykah Badu’s Chicago concert were surprised by the singer who is known to deliver pearls of wisdom in her songs, apparently defended R. Kelly who is currently facing the consequences of resurfaced sexual abuse allegations since the emergence of an explosive docu-series “Surviving R. Kelly.”
One concert-goer tweeted:
https://twitter.com/jacquemarquez_/status/1086852779614846976
“I really want to say how much I loved Erykah Badu’s concert tonight. But i can’t get over how she tried to justify and defend R. Kelly’s actions and reputation during her set… I’m so disappointed.”
Another attendee referred to what the songstress is believed to have said onstage:
https://twitter.com/boyDonavin/status/1086837463832776704
‘“What if one of the people who was assaulted by R Kelly becomes an offender? we gonna crucify them too?’ -erykah badu at her chicago concert.”
R. Kelly is already getting a taste of what it means to be sidelined and it is not good. To avoid this kind of effect, Erykah Badu took to her Twitter page on Sunday to defend her comment to reflect concern for the R&B legend and those he reportedly abused.
I love you. Unconditionally.
That doesn’t mean I support your poor choices.
I want healing for you and anyone you have hurt as a result of you being hurt. Is that strange to you ?
That’s all I’ve ever said. Anything else has been fabricated or taken out of context. – eb
— ErykahBadoula (@fatbellybella) January 21, 2019
She wrote:
“I love you. Unconditionally. That doesn’t mean I support your poor choices.
“I want healing for you and anyone you have hurt as a result of you being hurt. Is that strange to you ? That’s all I’ve ever said.
“Anything else has been fabricated or taken out of context. – eb”