R Kelly dropped from Ohio festival bill following protests

30 July 2014, 11:51 | Written by Luke Morgan Britton

(News)

(R Kelly)

R Kelly’s sketchy past has been well-documented, but largely overlooked by the mass population. But now the R&B singer has been dropped from a music festival in Ohio after punters protested at his initial booking.

As Columbus Alive reports, Kelly was scheduled to play the Fashion Meets Music Festival during August, an appearance that will no longer go ahead after a “mutual decision” was reached between the organisers and the singer.

“There was a lot of back and forth on the criticism we did receive,” said festival communications director Melissa Dickson. “The festival has taken a lot of heat, and we really just wanted to listen to Columbus and really take a stance and move forward”.

Kelly was accused of possessing child pornography in 2002 and has been the subject of repeated rape allegations over the years.

Meanwhile, Fashion Meets Music will go ahead as planned from 29-31 August.