Podcasters Defend R. Kelly Interview, We Separate the Art From the Artist

TMZ

Getting R. Kelly on the phone from prison put podcasters April Smith and Patricia Dillard in a serious dilemma ... one where they risked backlash from the public, and even their own families.

Transcript

00:00I

00:02Was wondering if the any of the reaction you got was that you're kind of overlooking

00:06Yes, you're listening to his music and enjoying his singing

00:09But you're overlooking the fact that he was convicted and is doing time for some some very

00:15Horrible crimes that were committed against women, violating the man act, involving minors, some pretty serious stuff. Trust me guys we

00:23Sat down and deliberated this as a family and I say family because we're childhood friends

00:29So we literally sat down and we talked through everything. We're mothers. We have full-time jobs

00:34This is something we enjoy doing and we believe in it and we knew from the beginning

00:39Even family would be against us with some of this. This is R Kelly

00:44I mean and we were very firm from the beginning. We do not want to discuss this case

00:49We were actually very happy that he had the gag order and we couldn't discuss the case because we don't want to. We have daughters

00:56We just love R Kelly and as I said in the podcast

00:59We're just two individuals who are able to separate the art from the artist. What's the reaction you got so far?

01:07We have mixed reactions

01:09We were blown away by all of the love that was shown on our YouTube channel because we knew we were ready

01:17We knew it was gonna be all negative. They were gonna rip us apart and we had a couple

01:22That did

01:30But it's okay, that's how they feel and they're entitled to their opinion I understand but again

01:36It's R Kelly and and when R Kelly falls you answer

01:39I would imagine that your critics would say you're ignoring some really horrific things that he is convicted of doing

01:46Well, we just try to see the person, you know

01:49We wouldn't have a podcast with inmates if we discriminated against every inmate that was in prison our podcast wouldn't exist

01:57So we when we have someone on we see them for the person that they are and for R Kelly

02:03we see the artist that he was and

02:06Like Nicole said Patricia said when we were growing up together, you know, we're middle school friends. So

02:14When we

02:15Remember growing up together. We remember listening to R Kelly and in that moment, he took us back

02:19It is really hard to get in touch with a federal prisoner much. Let's do a podcast with them

02:26How did this happen? It's simple. I mean, there's no difficult way

02:31I like it's nothing special that happened April. We both dabble in prison reform

02:37April was helping someone with their case and was just having a phone call and they were wrapping up

02:42And he just happened to mention that he was housed at the same facility as R Kelly and we were just so excited

02:49Like we're huge

02:51And it went from there we were like just tell me come on the podcast and he actually wrote he did

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