The #MeToo Returns

Allegations of Drake mimic those of R. Kelly
Dymea Schippers
Entertainment Editor

  Millions tuned in to watch ‘Surviving R. Kelly,’ Lifetime’s disturbing docuseries exposed R&B singer and songwriter R. Kelly’s habit of preying on young girls. The program consisted of numerous testimonies of Kelly’s victims, who say they were groomed from an early age to be abused and ultimately discarded. Women that were onced silenced are now emerging from the shadows to unite their voices and share their stories.
  The series shined a necessary light on Kelly, who managed to stay on top for years after marrying an underage girl, Aaliyah Haughton, and filming a sexually explicit video with a 14-year-old adolescent. R. Kelly’s playboy lifestyle has had its fair share of rumors of abuse, predatory behavior, and pedophilia; however, despite multiple witnesses and accusations, none of these allegations have affected his career until recently.
  For the first time ever, survivors and people from R. Kelly’s inner circle are coming forward with new allegations about his sexual, mental, and physical abuse. They are now sharing their sides of the story and are unveiling the unseen truth to the public.
  “It's not surprising this wasn't discovered sooner since celebrities can simply just pay people off to keep their wrongdoings a secret from the public,” said Sam Moschonas, junior.
  It is clear that R. Kelly’s career is starting to plateau due to the backlash from high-profile celebrities and everyday supporters, as well as prosecutors in Atlanta and Chicago who are looking into allegations and asking potential victims and witnesses to come forward.
  R. Kelly is not the only infamous artist to have serious allegations against him. The world-wide sensational rapper, Drake, has also taken quite a few hits after an inappropriate a video of him surfaced on Twitter. Some are even calling him the R. Kelly of a younger generation.
  In the video, shot years ago, Drake was spotted taking a break after performing on stage and welcomed up a member from the audience - a young woman. He gets a little too intimate with her on stage before he asks how old she is. When she responds that she is only 17 years old, the crowd erupts in laughter as if it was all a huge joke. It did not seem to faze the rapper in the slightest and he continued to kiss and embrace her on stage before biding her farewell.
  “This type of behavior is inexcusable and should've have been caught earlier, but most people thought it was all just a joke,” said Nicole Rodriguez, junior.
  The video, which has been retweeted several thousand times, has received heavy backlash on Twitter. This is not his first time Drake is receiving backlash for his behavior towards young women. In September 2018, reports emerged suggesting Drake was in a romantic relationship with an 18-year-old model, Bella Harris, whom he had known since she was 16. Drake has also been caught sending inappropriate messages to child celebrities including “Stranger Things” star, Millie Bobby Brown, who is only 14 years old.
  “It's a shame that more celebrities are showing their true colors, but now whenever I listen to their music again, I don't think I'll listen to it the same way I did before,” said Moschonas.

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