Kirk Franklin Urges People NOT To Separate The Artist From The Art As He Addresses R. Kelly’s Ongoing Legal Troubles & Sex Crimes: There’s No Way That You Can Separate the Two

Kirk Franklin, R. Kelly

Kirk Franklin Urges People NOT To Separate The Artist From The Art As He Addresses R. Kelly’s Ongoing Legal Troubles & Sex Crimes: There’s No Way That You Can Separate the Two

Kirk Franklin isn’t holding anything back as he reflects on his relationship with R. Kelly. 

In a recent interview with The Breakfast Club, Kirk Franklin, 52, had a lot to say about his friendship with R. Kelly, 55. While chatting with the famed radio hosts, Kirk Franklin was asked if music listeners should separate the artist from the art when it comes to R. Kelly and other controversial celebrities. The father-of-4 replied:

“I feel about it the same way that if a pastor is pastoring a church and he’s abusing women in the church – if he’s abusing money in the church – but his preaching is good and if his word is good – you cannot – and God did not create us to be able to separate the two.”

He added,

“There’s no way that you can separate the two. There’s no way I can put hands on my wife and come home and bring flowers and expect for there to be the same level of intimacy.”

The famed choir director continued and said that even though he has known R. Kelly for years, he wasn’t initially aware of what was going on behind the scenes with the R&B singer.

R. Kelly

He continued:

“I would say to anybody with the microphone moving forward, to whom much is given much is required. That’s what I would say. When you grab the microphone, we’ve got to be responsible. And let’s also have the conversations about the enablers. Let’s have the conversation about, you know, let’s have the conversations about the network that may have known.”

Kirk Franklin

During his interview, Kirk recalled a time he flew to L.A. to go see R. Kelly and the “Ignition” singer said to him:

“I’ve been in church and I’ve been in the streets and I don’t know which one is the biggest hustler.”

Kirk added he was devastated by that comment.

“that just broke my heart right that that that just really broke my heart.”

R. Kelly

When Angela Yee asked if he prays for both the victims and R. Kelly, Kirk said,

“I do because I pray for both.”

As previously reported, R. Kelly has been sentenced to more than 25 years in prison for his previous sex crimes committed over the span of decades. R. Kelly was convicted back in September 2021 of racketeering, acts of bribery, sexual exploitation of children, and other sex trafficking charges. During the trial, the government called 45 witnesses to discuss the trauma he put his victims through.

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