R. Kelly's publicist thinks CBS interview 'helped him'

R. Kelly performs onstage during R. Kelly, New Edition and The Jacksons at the 2013 BET Experience at Staples Center on June 30, 2013 in Los Angeles. Photo / Getty

R. Kelly's publicist believes his CBS interview "helped" him.

The 'Ignition' hitmaker - who was recently charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse - sat down for an interview with Gayle King last week in which he ranted at the camera, paced the room and grew increasingly heated as he maintained his innocence, but his spokesperson Darrell Johnson thinks it was important the 52-year-old singer showed his true self.

R. Kelly and Halle Calhoun attend a Party at Amora Lounge on October 26, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo / Getty

Darrell told CNN: "The interview needed to happen - I really do believe it. Yes, I think it did help him. I don't think the emotions going so high (helped) but I think he was being himself."

And the publicist is unsure how anyone in Kelly's position would have behaved under the circumstances.

He said: "If I was facing 70 years in the state penitentiary, I'm not going to say I would act like that. But how do you act when you're going to spend the rest of your life in prison?"

Darrell was also quizzed about the 'I Believe I Can Fly' singer's relationship with his "girlfriends" Joycelyn Savage and Azriel Clary - whose families claim they are being held against their will - and insisted they have the freedom to leave if they want to.

He said: "I've been with Mr. Kelly for three weeks, six hours a day. I have the keys. I can walk into his apartment.

"I take his phone at will. Half the time, he's not even there. Half the time, he's playing basketball, at the cigar lounge, things he likes to do to calm his mind. Those young ladies come freely.

"The accusation is that these two young ladies in the home with him now are brainwashed, behind held hostage, not being fed, in some black room being told what to say. I've been there and I've not seen that."

Meanwhile, Gayle recently admitted she wasn't "scared" by her interviewee's behaviour.

She said: "I was not scared. I never thought he was going to hit me.

"After, Oprah [Winfrey] and my kids Kirby and Will called me to ask if I was okay because it looked scary. But I was never worried he was going to hurt me. I was more worried that he was going to get up and leave.

"So what I was really thinking to myself was: I'm not done with this interview, so I'm going to let him have his moment. If I stood up even to comfort him, that could have been his invitation to say 'This is over.' So I didn't interrupt his anger and let him have that."