Former Intern Says She Was Sexually Abused By R. Kelly As a Teenager

The three-part, six-hour Lifetime docuseries, “Surviving R. Kelly,” which detailed the longstanding allegations of mental, physical, sexual and emotional abuse against the self-proclaimed pied piper, reignited outrage over the continued success of the disgraced superstar. The film even sparked a new investigation into the allegations, forcing many of Kelly’s musical peers to take action against him, in removing their collaborations from all streaming services. 

But now, as the survivors continue to spread awareness and share their stories, a new survivor is opening up about her traumatizing experience with Kelly. 

In an on-camera interview with Dateline, which is set to air tonight on NBC, a woman who interned at Epic Records in 1999 said Kelly sexually abused her when she was 16-years-old.

Tracy Sampson, the now-36-year-old victim who first shared her story in a Washington Post exposé in May 2018, said it all started with a kiss. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sampson said Kelly forcibly kissed her before persuading her into a sexual relationship. 

“Can I kiss you,” she recalled him asking, “And I was like, ‘No,’’ which forced him to respond, “Well, give me a hug.’ And then, like, when I gave him a hug he just started kissing me.” 

Sampson said she later thought she “was in love with him,” but she wasn’t convinced that her relationship with Kelly was something normal. “I just didn’t know what to do. Like, I didn’t know if this was normal. I didn’t know if this is how adults acted.”

Two years later, once she ended her relationship with Kelly, she filed a lawsuit against the singer, but ultimately settled out of court in 2002 for $250,000. 

Although Kelly’s lawyer acknowledged that he did not represent the singer at the time in question, he did say it “didn’t happen,” as Kelly denied the allegations. 

“There’s a few women who are making these allegations for which there’s no proof,” Steven Greenberg said.