Jerhonda Pace has opened up about an alleged underage sexual relationship with the artist
Last month, Buzzfeed published an article detailing R. Kelly’s alleged cult, in which a circle of women are ordered to follow Kelly’s rules, and non-compliance is punished with physical and verbal abuse. Another former victim, named Jerhonda Pace, has come out to talk about her underage relationship with Kelly and the subsequent payouts. In doing so, Pace is breaking a non-disclosure agreement she has signed with the artist.
Speaking to Buzzfeed, Pace detailed how she attended Kelly’s trial of 14 counts of making child pornography in 2008. As the artist was declared innocent, Pace defended Kelly. She was 15 at the time. As Kelly walked into the court building, she asked for his autograph. In May 2009, one of Kelly’s associates added Pace on MySpace and in June, she attended a party at the artist’s mansion in suburban Olympia Fields, Illinois.
Over the next seven months, the two pursued a sexual relationship during which Kelly filmed their sex acts without consent. Similar to Kelly’s previous allegations, she had to follow Kelly’s rules and ask for permission to leave the premises.
Pace ended her relationship with Kelly in 2010, after he caught her texting a friend. She said, “I was slapped and I was choked and I was spit on.” Subsequently, she signed a settlement draft which states that “the terms and existence of this Agreement and of the [earlier] 2010 Settlement Agreement shall be strictly confidential.”
Her friend still lives with Kelly today. “If I can speak out and I can help them get out of that situation, that’s what I will do,” Pace said. “I didn’t have anybody to speak up on my behalf when I was going through what I was going through with him. He’s brainwashed them really bad, and it kind of reminds me of Charles Manson.”
“I just really hope I can help these women out,” she continued. “Kelly needs to be stopped.”
(via Buzzfeed)