Gayle King reveals new video from R. Kelly interview on Stephen Colbert's show
Watch the CBS News primetime special, "The Gayle King Interview with R. Kelly."
In an exclusive clip that premiered on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" Thursday night, Gayle King asks R. Kelly why he continues to see young women, but Kelly deflects, asking, "Why do I see continue to see women?" King says, "I'm not saying women — you know what I'm talking about," but Kelly answers, "I know older women as well."
"I know 43 years old, bodies tight, they cool, I go out with them, I kick it with them," Kelly said. "I love women."
King said she had meant, "Don't you think, considering your behavior, this isn't good?" because, King said, the allegations of sexual abuse against Kelly moved away from a "he said, she said" to a "he said, she said, she said, she said, she said, she said ..."
King said when she went to interview him, she knew he wasn't going to say, "You know Gayle, you're right. I've done terrible things," but she thought he would have some level of reflection or contrition.
"I think we were witnessing the self-destruction of a man having a breakdown and that's never a good thing to see," King remarked to Colbert.
In the days after R. Kelly's explosive, nearly 80-minute interview for "CBS This Morning," some of his sexual abuse accusers have broken their silence about one of the most dramatic parts of his interview, when he jumped to his feet in a burst of emotion, flailing his arms. King, who interviewed him exclusively for CBS News, said she never felt her safety was at risk.
Colbert said everyone is "marveling" at King's composure in that moment. King said the now-viral photo of Kelly yelling was taken by a makeup artist who snapped 800 pictures during the interview. King told Colbert she was worried Kelly would storm out of the interview and she thought if she told him to calm down, it would make things worse.
"When I see Robert getting really upset, my initial reaction is 'please don't leave, please don't leave, please don't leave,'" King said.
Colbert called King's calm "Robert" something that was "instantly legendary." "If anyone yells at me for the next year, I'm just going to go 'Robert,'" Colbert kidded.
King noted that when somebody says your name, it's "soothing."
King also addressed how she feels Kelly's legacy and music will hold up over time in wake of the allegations against him.
"'I Believe I Can Fly' is one of my favorites. ... We are hearing it now with different ears. None of these are new allegations," King said. "When you see the people come out the way they're talking ... you can't unhear it."
King said she "feels his pain, his anger" but, she said, "he also knows what he's done."
Colbert also pointed to one of the notable comments from after the Kelly interview aired: Fox News host Jesse Watters said "hats off to Gayle King for totally redeeming herself after the Smollett fiasco," seemingly referencing "Good Morning America" host Robin Roberts' interview with Jussie Smollett. His co-host Dana Perino pointed out it wasn't King who interviewed Smollett, it was Roberts. "I apologize," Watters said.
King told Colbert she sent an email to Perino to thank her and said it was a "great compliment" to be mistaken for Roberts. "Thank you for letting him know we're two different people and could you let the rest of your colleagues know that all black people do not look alike?"
King's explosive interview with King has been widely discussed since it was broadcast on "CBS This Morning." Just hours after the interview aired, court officers in Chicago arrested Kelly Wednesday after a hearing over unpaid child support bills. Authorities said Kelly will stay in jail until he comes up with more than $161,000 he owes his three children.
On Thursday, two of R. Kelly's accusers spoke out about the CBS News interview.
"When he started screaming it terrified me, so when he started screaming I immediately turned the TV (off) because again, I felt like I was revisiting him yelling at me," said Asante McGee. She met R. Kelly at a club and they dated from 2014 to 2016.
CBS News also spoke to Kitti Jones, who said she dated Kelly from 2011 to 2013. She said that throughout their relationship, Kelly kicked, slapped and punched her. Jones said Kelly describing his accusers as liars was no surprise.
Kelly remains jailed. Meanwhile, police in Detroit said Wednesday they want to talk to a woman who claims Kelly sexually assaulted her in 2001 when she was 13 years old.
Watch the CBS News primetime special, "The Gayle King Interview with R. Kelly," on Friday, March 8, at 8 p.m. ET/PT
