Jerhonda, 24, who publicly accused R&B singer R. Kelly last year of abusing her when she was a minor, is speaking out again about how life has been since she came forward.
BuzzFeed News reported her allegations in 2017. Kelly’s representative has said he “denies any and all wrongdoing,” and Kelly declined to comment when BuzzFeed News followed up this year. The allegations have not been proven in court.
Jerhonda says she came forward only weeks before the Hollywood producer allegations surfaced, and she was frustrated by the difference in attention. In her words, she asked, “What about R. Kelly’s victims? What about us?”
She also says she broke a nondisclosure agreement to speak publicly, and that she has not heard any pushback about it from Kelly’s team. She says she gave evidence to investigators, including the agreement, but was told they wanted more witnesses to corroborate her account, and she has not heard back since. An FBI spokesperson would neither confirm nor deny an investigation, according to BuzzFeed News.
After a national TV appearance on The Real, Jerhonda says she received support from other survivors and from public figures including Tarana Burke, who founded the #MeToo movement. She also says she has faced backlash from people who find her account hard to believe.
She is urging others to speak up and says anyone who has been through similar experiences should have access to counseling.
