Syleena Johnson: ‘I will no longer perform my R. Kelly collaboration’

Singer Syleena Johnson can no longer perform the hit song R. Kelly wrote for her in 2001 following the accusations of sexual and physical abuse made against him.
Documentary series Surviving R. Kelly detailed years of accusations of physical and sexual abuse against the I Believe I Can Fly hitmaker, who is also facing allegations he carried on relationships with underage girls.
The R&B hitmaker has denied all of the claims, but Johnson reveals she is sickened by the lyrics featured in her hit I Am Your Woman, the track Kelly wrote, which chronicles a young girl’s relationship with an older man.
“No, I didn’t tape the song knowing what I know now, but when you know better, you have to do better,” she tells the Associated Press. “Essentially you’ve put me in a predicament where I’m a young woman talking about being with an older man. That’s what my song says. So, when I see what’s going on, I’m in tears because I’ve been singing that the whole time.
“I’m thinking of it as, ‘We 16, we grew up together, in a relationship together (sic).’ But no, now that I know what I know, that’s not what that means. How can I sing I Am Your Woman ever again? It brings me to tears almost when I think about it.”
Johnson and Kelly were label mates at Sony’s now-defunct Jive Records and the 42 year old insists he never acted inappropriately towards her. However, she cannot be supportive of him following all of the allegations of inappropriate conduct.
“It’s very hard because Robert was like a big brother for me at one point in my career and we grew apart after a long time,” she says. “I’m a woman first. That behaviour is unacceptable. I can’t stand behind it. I’m sorry. No.”