Prince Williams/WireImageAmid publicized allegations against him, R. Kelly made a surprise public appearance—with a defiant message.
The star, who has been accused of a range of misconduct by multiple women and was the subject of Lifetime's newly released docuseries Surviving R. Kelly, showed up at V75 Lounge in Chicago on Wednesday night. The singer has continuously denied all allegations of misconduct.
Taking the mic, the Grammy-winning singer belted out the opening lyrics of his 1994 hit, "Bump n' Grind," sans music before making a statement.
"Somebody make some motherf--king noise," he shouted. "Y'all motherf--kers don't know it's my motherf--king birthday and I don't give a f--k what's going on tonight."
Kelly turned 52 years old on Jan. 8. As he performed, fans videotaped him, enthusiastically sang along and screamed for him as he spoke, according to footage taken of the scene below. Warning: the video contains graphic language. He also sang back and forth with the audience a cappella and posed for photos with fans.
According to TMZ, someone called the police on the singer, claiming there was a warrant for his arrest. Chicago police confirmed to E! News they responded to a call of a person wanted around 1:01 a.m. in the area of the club, but no arrests were made. TMZ reported that once police arrived to the club, they determined there is no arrest warrant for Kelly.
TMZ previously reported that the Surviving R. Kelly docuseries spurred Georgia's Fulton County District Attorney's Office to launch an investigation. In response to the investigation reports, R. Kelly's rep declined to comment to E! News.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday night, Lady Gaga spoke out in support of the women who have come forward with their allegations and expressed regret over the 2013 track, "Do What U Want," that she made with Kelly.
"I stand behind these women 1000%, believe them, know they are suffering and in pain, and feel strongly that their voices should be heard and taken seriously. What I am hearing about the allegations against R. Kelly is absolutely horrifying and indefensible. As a victim of sexual assault myself, I made both the song and video at a dark time in my life, my intention was to create something extremely defiant and provocative because I was angry and still hadn't processed the trauma that had occurred in my own life. The song is called 'Do What U Want (With My Body).' I think it's clear how explicitly twisted my thinking was at the time," the triple threat wrote in a statement posted on social media. "If I could go back and have a talk with my younger self I'd tell her to go through the therapy I have since then, so that I could understand the confused post-traumatic state that I was in—or if therapy was not available to me or anyone in my situation—to seek help, and speak as openly and honestly as possible about what we've been through."
She continued, "I can't go back, but I can go forward and continue to support women, men and people of all sexual identities, and of all races, who are victims of sexual assault. I have demonstrated my stance on this issue and others many times throughout my career. I share this not to make excuses for myself, but to explain. 'Til it happens to you, you don't know how it feels. But I do know how I feel now."
The A Star Is Born actress concluded, "I intend to remove the song off iTunes and other streaming platforms and will not be working with him again. I'm sorry, both for my poor judgment when I was young, and for not speaking out sooner. I love you."