Gayle King on 'Witnessing Self-Destruction' of 'Very Troubling' R. Kelly During Raucous Interview
Gayle King is reflecting on her sit-down with a fired-up R. Kelly, days after she interviewed the singer after he was charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse against four alleged victims.
The CBS This Morning anchor appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Thursday to discuss her much-talked-about interview with Kelly. “He was upset with me for some of the questions, he was a little irritated, that’s okay,” King told late-night host Colbert about specific moments in the raucous exchange.
Reflecting on his responses to her questions, King expressed her thoughts on Kelly’s behavior and reactions.
“He keeps saying that, ‘I didn’t do anything wrong. All these women are wrong,’ and I go, ‘All these women are lying except for you?’ That just defies logic,” she said. “When I went into the interview Stephen, I knew he wasn’t going to say, ‘You know Gayle, you’re right. I’ve done terrible things.’ But I did think on some level, he would have a moment of reflection, he would have contrition.
King recalled, “So it became very troubling to me to see him, really, just fall apart. I thought we were witnessing the self-destruction of a man having a breakdown and that’s never a good thing to see, never.
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Kelly, 52, grew increasingly upset throughout the interview, eventually looking directly into the camera, yelling and standing up out of his chair, but King, on the other hand, sat cool, calm and collected as Kelly lashed out and repeatedly denied all claims against him.
Celebrities, including Elton John and King’s best friend Oprah Winfrey, and fans applauded the star for her journalistic skills and praised her professionalism.
In a sneak peek of her primetime special with Kelly, which previewed on the Late Show and will air Friday on CBS, King asks him, “Why do you continue to see young women? Why do you continue to do that?”
“Why do I continue to see women?” Kelly interjects as King retorts, “You know I’m not saying women, you know what I’m talking about.” Kelly also says, “I know older women as well. I know 43-year-olds, bodies tight, they cool, I go out with them, I kick it with them. I love women.”
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King also spoke with Kelly’s two live-in girlfriends, Joycelyn Savage, 23, and Azriel Clary, 21, during an interview which aired on CBS This Morning Thursday. Savage’s parents have accused R. Kelly of kidnapping their daughter, though she says she’s living with the singer of her own free will.
Kelly, who has denied having sex with Clary while she was underage, has also denied luring his girlfriends into relationships by promising to advance their music careers.
Kelly was released from jail on Feb. 25 after being indicted by a grand jury on 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse against four alleged victims, the Cook Country Sheriff previously confirmed to PEOPLE.
The R&B singer secured his release by paying 10 percent of his $1 million bail amount. Hours earlier, Kelly’s attorney Steven Greenberg pleaded not guilty on Kelly’s behalf, reported the Associated Press.
RELATED: Gayle King Reveals She ‘Wasn’t Scared’ During Her Interview with R. Kelly Despite His Anger
On Wednesday, Kelly was arrested again for failure to pay outstanding child support. Cook County Sheriff’s office spokeswoman Sophia Ansari confirms to PEOPLE that Kelly was transferred to the county jail, where he will remain until he pays $161,000 in back child support that he owes.
Kelly has repeatedly denied all claims against him. He is due in court again on March 13 regarding child support and March 22 on the sexual abuse charges.
A primetime special on King’s 80-minute interview with Kelly airs Friday at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
If you suspect domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
