Erykah Badu elicited boos from a Chicago crowd after bringing up R. Kelly at a Saturday night concert in his hometown, according to fans in attendance.
A few songs into her show at the Aragon Ballroom in the Uptown neighborhood, Badu took a break from her set to talk about Kelly, who continues to face fallout from “Surviving R. Kelly,” the Lifetime documentary series that spotlighted decades of abuse allegations against the R&B singer.
“I’m putting up a prayer right now for R.,” Badu said, according to videos posted on social media.The singer redirected the audience away from criticizing Kelly, saying, “That’s not love.”
Badu then wondered out loud if one of Kelly’s alleged victims would also be crucified if she grew up to be an offender. “It’s just something to think about,” Badu said.
On Sunday, Badu appeared to clarify her comments on Twitter:
“I love you. Unconditionally. That doesn’t mean I support your poor choices. I want healing for you and anyone you have hurt as a result of you being hurt. Is that strange to you? That’s all I’ve ever said. Anything else has been fabricated or taken out of context.”
Badu’s comments follow reports that Sony Music dropped Kelly and the airing of an accuser coming forward on a “Dateline NBC” special.
Badu, who has collaborated with Kelly and introduced him at the 2015 Soul Train Awards as having done more for black people than anyone, reportedly declined to be interviewed for the Lifetime documentary. She previously came under fire for saying she “saw something good in Hitler.”