Lady Gaga‘s apology Wednesday night for working with R. Kelly did not go unnoticed.
Hours after the A Star Is Born actress posted a lengthy, emotional statement, in which she said she fully supports the women accusing Kelly of sexual abuse in the new Lifetime docuseries Surviving R. Kelly and that she regretted having worked with him in the past, Kelly’s attorney Steve Greenberg responded.
“Mr. Kelly has not committed any crime. It is unfortunate the extent people want to put his past relationships under a microscope for their own personal gain,” Greenberg told Access Hollywood. “But no one complained when they were living the glamorous Life as a rockstar Groupie or girlfriend. There are no victims — there are only those now exploiting Mr. Kelly for their 15 minutes of TMZ fame.”
As Gaga had, he noted that she worked with Kelly on the 2013 song “Do What U Want.”
“Mr. Kelly appreciates that she recognized his immense talent and collaborated with him to help her career, but finds it regrettable that she is now exploiting this controversy to try and help her in her effort to win an Oscar,” he said.
Greenberg did not immediately respond to Yahoo’s request for comment.
Gaga is, of course, hoping for an Oscar for Best Actress for her work on the blockbuster she co-headlined with Bradley Cooper. Gaga was a favorite to win a Golden Globe award at Sunday’s ceremony, but it was Glenn Close who took home the award. Many critics are still predicting on Gold Derby that she’s one of the two top contenders.
In her apology for having used “poor judgment,” Gaga said she would remove the track she recorded with Kelly from iTunes and streaming services. She promised to avoid working with him in the future.
Another famous former Kelly fan, actress and singer Keke Palmer, also denounced him. Palmer said she had once admired Kelly and even sought career advice from him, but that Surviving R. Kelly had left her in tears. “I am hurt and saddened, because he could have been a blessing to these women, but instead he repeatedly took advantage, and that I can not accept,” Palmer said, in part.
John Legend, Jada Pinkett Smith, Chance the Rapper, Phoenix and Meek Mill are among the other celebrities who have spoken out against Kelly since the show debuted on Jan. 3
