The sexual abuse charges filed Friday against R&B singer R. Kelly were celebrated by some activists, lawyers and celebrities.
"There is a god. She’s Black," Alicia Garza, a co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement, wrote on Twitter after the charges were announced.
Kelly, 52, whose real name is Robert Kelly, was charged Friday in Illinois with multiple counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a teenager.
The musician has been criminally accused of sexual misconduct before. He was tried on child pornography charges in 2008. A jury cleared him on all counts.
"I just need them to follow through this time," feminist writer Mikki Kendall said on Twitter on Friday.
MSNBC Political Analyst Zerlina Maxwell had this to say: "It took this long to indict R. Kelly because the victims are Black girls. Asked and Answered."
She later remarked that she was "so emotional" while watching Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx list the counts against Kelly, specifying that her office was charging him with 10 counts for abusing multiple victims, at least three of whom were underage.
"What a powerful moment," Maxwell said.
Allegations of sexual misconduct against the singer gained renewed attention this year with the airing of a Lifetime docuseries "Surviving R. Kelly" in early January.
The singer and his lawyers have consistently denied any wrongdoing in regard to any previous allegations against him over the years. On Friday, Kelly's attorney, Steve Greenberg, said his client would "go to bond court" on Saturday and would eventually "be acquitted."
The executive producer of "Surviving R. Kelly" was lauded on social media as a hero after the musician was charged Friday.
"The survivors are heroes," responded executive producer dream hampton.
"I know it is Oscar weekend, but this proves some films are bigger than awards, ratings, and how much money is made. @dreamhampton's #SurvivingRKelly paved the way for justice," comic and TV host W. Kamau Bell.
Attorney Michael Avenatti, who said Friday that he represents one of the alleged victims named in the indictment as well as another alleged victim, said, "Today marks a watershed moment in the 25 years of abuse by this predator known as R. Kelly."
"As a father of two teenage girls ... I am especially disgusted by this conduct and the amount of time that it has taken to bring this predator to justice," Avenatti said.
Lawyer Gloria Allred — who also represents some of Kelly's alleged victims but none whose claims are covered by Friday's indictment — said in a statement, "The days of running and hiding his victimization of women from the criminal justice system have now come to an end for R. Kelly."
