A Patreon page allegedly belonging to R. Kelly’s longtime girlfriend Joycelyn Savage was taken down Tuesday after the crowdfunding site said it was unable to confirm the account holder’s identity.
Speaking with TMZ, a source at Patreon stated that it gave the account numerous days to confirm that it was actually being run by Savage but never received confirmation. The spokesperson told TMZ that the site decided to delete the account over “potential impersonation” issues.
“After multiple unsuccessful attempts to verify the identity of the account holder, we closed the Patreon page allegedly associated with Joycelyn Savage due to potential impersonation,” the spokesperson said. “All patrons who signed up for the membership page were refunded and the creator did not receive any funds.”
More than 1,800 people allegedly paid to see Savage’s posts, according to TMZ.
The account was only just revealed earlier this week on an Instagram page also allegedly run by Savage, who, despite previously defending Kelly against allegations of sexual abuse, has now reportedly vowed to further expose the disgraced R&B singer.
A post on the Instagram page specifically stated that daily stories would be posted to Patreon, even though Savage had allegedly been forced to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) while living with Kelly.
“I have Partnered up with Patreon where I will post daily chapters of my story. Things I am going to reveal that was sweared not to see the day of light—by NDA,” the post claims. “I am risking my life for many others. This story is 18+ and only for mature audience, I want to make sure my story is very detailed as I can remember.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5Nl-pTFbNQ/
Kelly’s legal team, according to Complex, has also looked into the account but “cannot confirm” that the Instagram account belongs to Savage.
Kelly was arrested in July and currently faces 18 federal charges, ranging from possession of child pornography to kidnapping.
Update 11:31am CT, Dec. 6: Joycelyn Savage said in a video statement to TMZ this week that she did not create Instagram and Patreon accounts to share allegations of sexual abuse against R. Kelly.
“I am not going to be a part of the assassination of R. Kelly’s name, music career, and his character,” Savage says in the video. “How will we ever be able to get a fair trial anywhere in the world with all these lies that being told on him?”
She says Kelly is her “best friend,” that they have “a bond that is so special that no one ever can break,” and that the allegations against him made on the Patreon account under her name were “nonsense.”
“Please do not believe what you see and hear on social media,” she continues. “That is not my Instagram. Someone is impersonating me. I just want everyone to know we still support him and we would never betray him.”
READ MORE:
- Joycelyn Savage says she’s a ‘victim’ of R. Kelly
- R. Kelly arrested on 13 new federal sex-crime charges
- A ‘Surviving R. Kelly’ follow-up special is headed to Lifetime in May
H/T TMZ