Actor Columbus Short is opening up about his own experience with sexual abuse and molestation following Lifetime’s revealing Surviving R. Kelly documentary.
The six-part documentary chronicles decades of R. Kelly’s alleged sexual misconduct and abuse, which he has continuously denied. With more than 50 interviews with Kelly’s victims, it’s hard for many to continue ignoring his widely documented abuse.
Short is one of many celebrities who has since condemned the “Ignition” singer, but he went one step further to share his own experience of sexual molestation.
The former Scandal actor shared an Instagram video revealing that a babysitter molested him as a child. His revelation came after R. Kelly’s brother Carey revealed that he and the singer were both molested by their older sister in a radio interview this week.
“I found out R. Kelly was molested by his sister, and it’s sad,” Short said in the video.
“It doesn’t justify anything that he’s done as an adult man, but I was molested by my babysitter and she would make me do things that were really, really uncomfortable,” he said. “I was scared to speak out. But I’m not scared anymore.”
Short ended the video by declaring that the Black community had to overcome the stigma associated with Black men and boys speaking out against sexual abuse.
“I’m a talented man that was molested. I was touched, and it’s affected me in ways that I can’t even explain,” he said in conclusion. “For all those out there that have—it’s OK to speak out. It’s a lot of us. I’m praying for R. Kelly.”
