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Sony’s RCA music label severs ties with R. Kelly after uproar

(Frank Micelotta | Invision/AP, File) In this June 30, 2013 file photo, R. Kelly performs at the BET Awards in Los Angeles. Kelly, one of the top-selling recording artists of all time, has been hounded for years by allegations of sexual misconduct involving women and underage girls _ accusations he and his attorneys have long denied. But an Illinois prosecutor’s plea for potential victims and witnesses to come forward has sparked hope among some advocates that the R&B star might face new charges. Sony Corp.'s RCA music label has scrubbed R. Kelly from its lineup as of Friday, Jan. 18, 2019.

Sony Corp.'s RCA music label has scrubbed R. Kelly from its lineup after a documentary series renewed the furor surrounding allegations of criminal sexual misconduct.

As of Friday morning, R. Kelly was no longer featured on RCA’s website. Billboard reported that the artist and Sony had agreed to part ways in the wake of the Lifetime series “Surviving R. Kelly,” which included accounts from his alleged victims.

Representatives for Sony didn't respond to requests for comment from Bloomberg, and R. Kelly couldn't immediately be reached.

Once a best-selling artist, R. Kelly has been gradually isolated by the entertainment industry. Streaming services stopped promoting him last year, and artists such as Celine Dion and Lady Gaga have been removing songs where they collaborated with the singer.

Allegations have swirled around R. Kelly for much of his decades-long career, though they seemed to have little effect on his commercial success until recent years. Multiple women have sued him for coercing them into having sex when they were under age. Parents of several other women have accused Kelly of holding their daughters against their will.

R. Kelly also attempted to marry the late R&B singer Aaliyah when she was 15 years old and he was 27.

The artist, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, won three Grammy Awards in 1998 for his song “I Believe I Can Fly” and has released a half-dozen albums that topped the U.S. album charts.