ATLANTA — Rapper Waka Flocka Flame and his wife, singer Tammy Rivera, had some strong words for singer R. Kelly, whose past relationships with underage girls have come under scrutiny once again.
The Atlanta rapper and his wife stopped by the 11Alive studios to speak with The A-Scene's Francesca Amiker to promote their upcoming show "Marriage Boot Camp" on WE tv.
During the interview, however, the couple spoke candidly about parenting - and talking to children about the ongoing sexual abuse allegations against R. Kelly.
Waka Flocka explained that any parents who allow their daughters around the 51-year-old singer with his reputation shoulder some of the blame.
"For me, for one, my daughter would never be there because I would never be one of them - parents allowing my daughter to be around a grown man - for one," he said. "So, before I point at him, I'm going to point at the family that accepted a opportunity that's using their child for a dream, or money, or whatever they was doing it for. That's wrong."
"Even with teenagers, sometimes, you can't always watch them and always control what they're doing," Rivera added. "But you can have a relationship with your child where, hopefully, they will be able to come to you and talk to you."
She said that it's deeper than just the singer's alleged actions and Waka agreed, comparing the situation to "a man with a bomb."
"Are you mad at the person who only pressed the button? Or are you mad at the person who built it, choreographed it," he said. "You're mad at the whole entire team - the security, the parents, the business. All of them."
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But, ultimately, Rivera said R. Kelly bears the majority of the blame - and that the truth will be made known.
"I still feel as though, whatever goes in the dark, comes in the light," she said.
The couple's comments come after R. Kelly's past relationships with underage girls were thrust into the light once again during a Lifetime docuseries, "Surviving R. Kelly."
The six-part series walks through the 51-year-old entertainer's high-profile relationships with young women, some of whom met the singer when they were as young as 12.
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For years, pre-teens and teenagers have come forward admitting to having a sexual relationship with the star. In 1998, sex tapes surfaced that appeared to show R. Kelly with underage girls. He was charged with 14 counts of child pornography but was acquitted on all charges in 2008. The adult women he has had public relationships with describe him as physically and sexually abusive.
Entertainment sites reported that the Fulton County District Attorney's Office opened a new investigation into previous allegations against the singer following the premiere of the docuseries, but when reached by 11Alive, the D.A. declined comment. Meanwhile, the state attorney's office in Illinois said they have been in contact with other alleged victims in Chicago, and they will be opening an investigation there.
R. Kelly – whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly – has never been convicted of a crime and, in many of the allegations, he was never charged with one.