Make of this what you will:
R. Kelly accused of inappropriate relationship
Inside scoop
February 19, 2008
BY
STELLA FOSTER Sun-Times Columnist
IT WAS REPORTED over the weekend by the TMZ gossip Web site that on an L.A. radio station, noted Chicago music retailer
George Daniels stated that embattled R&B artist
R. Kelly, 41, had an "inappropriate relationship with his daughter, 21-year-old
Maxine Daniels." TMZ received a statement from R. Kelly's spokesman saying that "It's hard to take seriously the moral outrage expressed by George and
Regina Daniels over R. Kelly's relationship with Mr. Daniels' adult daughter, Maxine. The fact is that they had no problem with the relationship -- indeed, they encouraged it -- while Ms. Daniels was on Mr. Kelly's payroll."
It went on to say -- "It was Regina Daniels, then working as a publicist for Mr. Kelly, who persuaded him to attend her stepdaughter's 21st birthday party. And it was Regina Daniels who shortly thereafter gave her stepdaughter Mr. Kelly's private phone number, with the admonition: 'Don't tell your father.' It was only after Ms. Daniels resigned her position to avoid being fired for incompetence that her stepdaughter's relationship suddenly became an issue for her and her husband."
R&B singer, R. Kelly, 41, is accused of having an inappropriate relationship with 21-year-old, Maxine Daniels.
(Brian Jackson/Sun-Times)
Maxine Daniels, 21
(Jean Lachat/Sun-Times)
Maxine personally came to this columnist's office at the Sun-Times, and in her first-ever interview said: "The statement that was issued by
R. Kelly's camp to TMZ, which I interpreted as an attempt to defame Regina and George Daniels, my dad and stepmom, has made it necessary for me to respond to some of those accusations: I take full responsibility for my actions. My stepmother and father didn't know about my relationship with the singer because I knew and he knew that they wouldn't approve ... so I tried to keep it a secret, but when my stepmother found out about our relationship, she resigned because she felt that Rob had 'crossed the line' by dating a girl that he has known since she was 7 years old. My stepmom was not fired for incompetence. She was Rob's publicist for 14 years and always considered Rob not just a client ... but family. And Rob thought of my dad like a father.
"I am 21, smart and will be graduating from college this year, but I admit that I was swept up by his charming and generous ways, which I truly regret and have learned from. My brief relationship with Kelly last year ended because my parents were starting to hear rumors that we were together, and I was beginning to feel like it wasn't a healthy situation, especially with the pain it was causing me and my family," Maxine said. "I felt that it just wasn't right. Also, in reference to my birthday party, which was held last spring, Regina did not push Rob to host the party. We both asked him ... and he readily agreed."
"In regards to the cell phone number, Regina didn't give me Rob's number and she didn't ask me not to tell my dad. Rob personally slipped me his number at another event and that is how we started talking. The Internet has been rampant with all sorts of rumors for months now and hopefully this will clear things up. I admit I made a mistake and I know I am not the first young adult to make a serious misjudgment."
In a Sun-Times report on Monday, a Kelly camp insider said:
Regina Daniels has been seeking "a healthy six-figure settlement from Kelly to go away quietly." Regina's response to that: "It sounds good, but it NEVER happened. I never contacted
R. Kelly or attempted to contact
R. Kelly or anyone in his camp regarding any money or any financial settlement or severance."
http://www.suntimes.com/news/foster/800858,CST-NWS-stella19.article
