Joycelyn Savage has come forward to deny any involvement in her alleged Patreon account and is accusing its owner of impersonating her.
In a TMZ video, Savage can be seen reading what appears to be a prepared statement about the matter.
“It has been said that I have left him, and he has abused me and all kind of nonsense,” she said. “I have said before, none of it is true… I am not going to be a part of the assassination of R. Kelly’s name, music career or character.”
She continued her statement denying all allegations of abuse that were put forth by the subscription-based Patreon account, also revealing that she speaks with Kelly daily and visits him regularly.
“I promise you, he is not the person you guys think he is. He is the best thing that’s ever happened to me and Azriel [Clay],” she said. “I talk to him everyday and see him every two weeks.”
“That is not my Instagram,” Savage asserted before going off-script. “Someone is impersonating me… We still support him and we will never betray him.”
After watching the video, Savage’s parents released a statement to TMZ.
“We’re saddened and disappointed to learn that Joycelyn Savage has said that she was not the person operating the Patreon account,” Gerald Griggs, Savage’s parents’ attorney, said. “We deeply desired to hear her story and in her own voice outside of the presence of Robert Sylvester Kelly or anyone associated with him. For nearly three years, Joycelyn Savage has not been able to speak outside of a controlled environment created by Mr. Kelly. Her video today was not any different.”
“Although we can now verify that it wasn’t her account, the allegations still remain. These are allegations that our own independent investigation found to be accurate and closely match the details listed in four indictments against Mr. Kelly,” Griggs’ statement continued. “We are also concerned about who gained access to Joycelyn’s personal Instagram account to mislead the public and her family. But there is no deception in this fact, for three years, Joycelyn’s family has spent the holidays without their daughter. They love her and long to embrace her once again.”
Even before Savage addressed the rumors and her alleged Patreon was disabled, some had had cast doubt that the account was genuine. R. Kelly accuser Lisa Van Allen previously said that while some of the abuse allegations might ring true, certain details of the Patreon account holder’s story didn’t add up.
The Patreon account had previously offered visitors a paid subscription to access stories that were supposedly Savage’s R. Kelly tell-all. The account owner, claiming to be Savage, had accused Kelly of mental, emotional and physical abuse as well as forcing her to undergo two at-home abortions.