A former backup singer to R. Kelly, Jovante Cunningham says she witnessed the singer having sex with a a then 15-year old Aaliyah.
She said this and many more damning things about the singer in the first episode of Lifetime’s six-part docuseries Surviving R. Kelly which is set to debut later this week.
She said: “We were out on the road with Aaliyah,
“On a tour bus, there really aren’t many confined spaces. When you get on the bus there are bunks and so these bunks have little curtains you can pull at night if you don’t want anybody to see you sleeping. So it just so happened we were all laying in our bunks and the curtains are open, everybody’s communicating, laughing. When the [room] door flew open on the bus. Robert was having sex with Aaliyah.”She added.
She also said the sight made her uncomfortable: “Things that an adult should not be doing with a child. I can’t stress to you how people are still suffering behind things that went on 20 years ago.”
R.Kelly, 27 at the time, was rumoured to have also married a then under-aged Aaliyah. R. Kelly’s former personal assistant, Demetrius Smith has now confirmed that.
“I was in the room when they got married,” he said.
“I’m not proud of that. I had papers forged for them when Aaliyah was underaged. It was just a quick little ceremony. She didn’t have on a white dress. He didn’t have on a tux. Just every day wear. She looked worried and scared.”
Aaliyah’s parents eventually intervened and got the marriage annulled a year later.