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Posted: 2018-04-30T22:21:39Z | Updated: 2018-04-30T22:29:51Z

R. Kelly struck back at the Times Up campaign on Monday, saying the groups efforts are unjust and off-target after it called for an investigation into the multiple allegations against the singer of abusing women.

The 51-year-old singer, whose full name is Robert Kelly, has faced accusations of sexual abuse for years , including allegations that he was involved in sex slavery and sexual abuse of minors . Times Up, an initiative started by women in Hollywood to fight sexual abuse and exploitation, on Monday called for an investigation into the allegations against Kelly and launched a social media campaign called #MuteRKelly.

In a statement , a representative for the singer expressed support for the Times Up movement while arguing that the accusations against Kelly are unwarranted.

R. Kelly supports the pro-women goals of the Times Up movement. We understand criticizing a famous artist is a good way to draw attention to those goals and in this case, it is unjust and off-target, the statement reads. We fully support the rights of women to be empowered to make their own choices. Times Up has neglected to speak with any of the women who welcome R. Kellys support, and it has rushed to judgment without the facts.

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Michael Blackmon (@blackmon) April 30, 2018

Kellys representative also said it would ultimately become clear that the singer is the target of a greedy, conscious and malicious conspiracy to demean him.

R. Kellys music is a part of American and African-American culture that should never and will never be silenced, the statement said . Since America was born, black men and women have been lynched for having sex or for being accused of it.

Representatives for Kelly did not immediately respond to HuffPosts request for comment.

The #MuteRKelly campaign has been promoted on Twitter by prominent black women in the Times Up movement, including television showrunner Shonda Rhimes , director Ava DuVernay and #MeToo founder Tarana Burke .

Some have pointed out that Kellys alleged victims are themselves women of color , which seemingly undercuts his argument that hes being targeted because he is a black man. The statement released by Times Up on Monday came from the groups Women of Color committee, who wrote that they hope to shine a bright light on our WOC sisters in need.

Yall. This has been a long, hard, fought journey that SO MANY sisters have been on for more than a decade, Burke wrote Monday on Twitter. This man is a predator and 100% of his victims have been Black and Brown girls. At times it felt like screaming into a well, but thank God for this reckoning coming.

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Y'all. This has been a long, hard, fought journey that SO MANY sisters have been on for more than a decade. This man is a predator and 100% of his victims have been Black and Brown girls. At times it felt like screaming into a well, but thank God for this reckoning coming. https://t.co/eB7Mm3P470

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Y'all. This has been a long, hard, fought journey that SO MANY sisters have been on for more than a decade. This man is a predator and 100% of his victims have been Black and Brown girls. At times it felt like screaming into a well, but thank God for this reckoning coming. https://t.co/eB7Mm3P470

Tarana (@TaranaBurke) April 30, 2018

On Sunday, Kelly posted a video to his Twitter account where he blamed rumors for the recent cancellation of a show hed been slated to give at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The singer also hinted at possible legal action for the incident.

I dont know why they canceled the show, Kelly said in the video. Ive never heard of a show being canceled because of rumors, but I guess theres a first time for everything.

Kelly is still scheduled to perform at the Greensboro Coliseum in North Carolina on May 11.

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The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?

Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.

The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. We hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.

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