R. Kelly Survivor Faith Rodgers Says STD Exposure Case Isn't About Money
R. Kelly Survivor Faith Rodgers Says STD Transmission Case Isn’t About Money – It’s About Justice (Exclusive)
Source: JOHANNES EISELE / Getty
Faith Rodgers Civil Suit Against R. Kelly Over STD Transmission
You may recognize Faith Rodgers from her time on “Surviving R. Kelly,” the Lifetime docuseries that takes a hard look at the disgraced singer for allegedly preying on schoolgirls for years.
But the young woman, who sued R. Kelly for allegedly exposing her to an incurable sexually transmitted disease, said she has shared her truth at tremendous personal cost. She’s been publicly branded as a liar and gold digger. She gets threatening and demeaning messages on social media. And she’s had to work to keep her health in check after discovering that Kelly allegedly infected her with herpes.
“I’m better, physically, but mentally I can’t say I’m in the best place,” Rodgers told us in an exclusive interview. “I’m taking it day by day.”
“When you speak out, when you go up against someone like Robert Kelly, what do you expect?” she added. “This is everybody’s favorite. It’s one of those subjects that are touchy, and you never know how you’ll be impacted by something like this until you go through it.”
Initially ID’d as “Jane Doe” in court documents, Rodgers said she decided to go public after speaking with other alleged victims and their families in the hopes of keeping the spotlight on Kelly and his alleged crimes.
“In my eyes,” Rodgers added, “I’m just a person who went through something that everybody else has gone through, but it was with a celebrity…I stuck up for myself. I didn’t go back, and I did what anyone else in my position would do, defend themselves.”
Rodgers said she was 19 when she began her relationship with Kelly. She said he could be like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: at times sweet, goofy, and even childlike, but also violent, perverse and a master manipulator.
“This person would describe at times being molested to you and how horrible it was, but then turn around and tell you that they want a girl who’s like their mother, their daughter or a dog. It was really confusing.”
Source: JOHANNES EISELE / Getty
Rodgers insists that Kelly never gave her any money or gifts during their relationship – something that she’s been accused of by both Kelly’s legal team and on social media. And she said she hasn’t been paid for participating in “Surviving R. Kelly” or any subsequent media interviews.
“A lot of people think that I was dating him for money,” she said. “He didn’t give me a dime…He never bought me cars, bags, anything. It wasn’t a swap. I really took a total loss in that whole situation.”
Kelly has denied Rodgers allegations as well as the claims from the dozens of other women who have accused him of sex abuse. He has been locked up since July 2019 on two federal criminal sexual abuse cases. He has pled not guilty and the cases are scheduled to go to trial later this year.
The Texas native said more than anything, she wants Kelly to acknowledge what he’s done, but she now believes that may never happen.
“The last conversation we had, he walked away and he said, ‘I’m a legend,'” Rodgers said. “But at the same time, I think he’s hit rock bottom. His pride isn’t gonna let him admit it, but he knows what’s going on inside. He’s a very conflicted person.”
Now 22, Rodgers said she is trying to move on with her life and hopes to get into a career field where she can help other survivors of sexual abuse.
“But I know I’m not going to be able to do what I want to do until I’m 100 percent,” Rodgers said. “So right now, it’s about fixing Faith.”
