R Kelly is facing severe heat from media and the masses alike following his recent sex trafficking conviction. From public shame to internet ridicule, the once-revered R&B legend has fallen from grace. And this is just the beginning of trouble for Kelly, as YouTube is officially pulling his channels from their site.
The Remix to Conviction for R Kelly
While Robert is no stranger to controversy involving sexual misconduct, the consequences appear dire as his sentencing approaches. As previously stated, R Kelly’s channels don’t exist on YouTube anymore. “We can confirm that we have terminated two channels linked to R. Kelly in accordance with our creator responsibility guidelines,” a spokesperson for YouTube said. “YouTube’s “creator responsibility guidelines” state that the company might remove a user for “on- and/or off-platform behavior that we may consider to be inappropriate.”
The two channels in question are R. Kelly TV and R. Kelly Vevo. Both of which now display messages letting users know that the accounts have been terminated. “Egregious actions committed by R. Kelly warrant penalties beyond standard enforcement measures due to a potential to cause widespread harm,” Nicole Alston, YouTube’s head of legal, said, per Bloomberg. “Ultimately we are taking this action to protect our users similar to other platforms.”
As of now, R Kelly is currently under a ban from ever using YouTube again. However, Kelly’s music is still on YouTube Music.
Kelly’s music remains on platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music. However, the future is unknown of how long it will stay. Spotify previously attempted to pull R Kelly’s music from their platform back in 2018, citing their hateful conduct policy. The platform soon backtracked after heavy criticism from fans.
Last week, Kelly was found guilty of nine racketeering and sex trafficking counts on Monday, September 27, with 50 witnesses being called to testify. The disgraced singer faces a minimum of 10 years in prison and up to life. The sentence starts on May 4, 2022.
The “I Believe I Can Fly” singer is still facing other charges in Illinois and Minnesota.
Be sure to look for more updates as this story develops.
Written by Terrence Weeks
