Joycelyn Savage and Azriel Clary's family members react to duo defending R Kelly during Gayle King interview
For the first time, family members of both Joycelyn Savage and Azriel Clary, the live-in girlfriends of singer R Kelly, reacted after seeing the women support the man accused of multiple counts of child rape during an interview with Gayle King, that aired back in March, last year.
The interview took place after R Kelly agreed to sit down with King in a segment that went viral for his eventual outburst merely days after he got out on bail. During the interview, with the women, both Joycelyn, as well as Azriel, backed the singer against sexual misconduct allegations, saying the singer was being largely framed by their parents who wanted to use their relationship with R Kelly to gain a payday.
In the documentary, 'Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning,' the family members of both Joycelyn and Azriel reacted to watching the women openly support R Kelly during the interview.
"Watching the interview with my sister and Gayle King... it was heartbreaking. When I saw her, don't get me wrong, she looked stunning, she was beautiful. But I didn't recognize her. Her attitude, the clothes, the hair, the tone of her voice, her teeth, her nose, I couldn't believe it was her," Al'ceis Clary, Azriel's sister said.
Angelo Clary, Azriel's father, said: "Watching my daughter attack her parents with lies and false allegations and anything to protect the person she thought she loved - R. Kelly - you know, you go blind, you go numb. And it's my job as a father to understand that it wasn't my daughter that was speaking. That was a young lady that was surviving in a situation that she (was) in."
"She is still my daughter, my baby girl, and I know that's not her words. I birthed her and I know she will never turn on her family," said Jonjelyn Savage, Joycelyn's mother, while her father, Tim, added, "I saw my daughter just agree with some of the things that Azriel said because I felt (if) she said anything out of place, she would've gotten beaten for it. Just shows that his control for those young women. He has full control of whatever he wants them to do at all times, even in the presence of some other people that are there."
"I honestly think what happened to my sister is that she has been manipulated and fully turned upside down. It just showed. It showed through her facial expression, her body language, it just showed she was not happy. And it's very heartbreaking," Jailyn Savage, Joycelyn's sister added.
‘Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning’ airs across three nights, beginning January 2 at 9 pm ET/PT.
