Family of R. Kelly’s girlfriend afraid to appear in court, allege threats from singer’s team

In the midst of the chaos surrounding the embattled singer, one of the women said to be his girlfriend is allegedly the target of intimidation

R Kelly
Joycelyn Savage (R) and Azriel Clary arrive for a bond hearing for R&B singer R. Kelly (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Two women believed to be R. Kelly’s girlfriends have showed up to support him in court, with a very visible security detail around them. But the family of one of the girls is claiming they’ve been threatened to stay away from their daughter, even in public.

According to The Blast, the parents of Joycelyn Savage desperately want to speak with their daughter, “apart from anyone associated with Robert Sylvester Kelly.”

READ MORE: R. Kelly appears in court in sex abuse case; enters not guilty plea

However, Gerald Griggs, an attorney for the family, says it was evident during the bond hearing the two women were “always in sight of Mr. Kelly’s associates.” Griggs also believes that both young women are clearly suffering from the effects of Stockholm Syndrome.

“Not once did Azriel Clary make eye contact with her parents, which is indicative of the manipulation and predatory behavior,” he notes.

Both Savage and Clary made sure to have a front row seat during Kelly’s bond hearing, and remained silent as they were bombarded by questions from the press, flanked by members of the singer’s security and entourage.

READ MORE: R. Kelly broke? R&B hitmaker doesn’t have cash to post $100K bail

Even though they’ve offered to assist the Cook County State’s Attorney Office, Savage’s parents admit they are still hesitant to travel to Chicago during the criminal trial due to the threats. Her father, Timothy Savage, alleges he has already been threatened by associates of Kelly on two previous occasions. As a result the family is requesting there be airtight security in place, before the set foot anywhere near the proceedings.

“In light of very serious death threats, which have all been reported to law enforcement, we will not travel to Chicago until we are confident that the Savages and I will not face harm of any kind,” explains Griggs.

READ MORE: R. Kelly must pay nearly $200K in back child support by March 6, or go to jail

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