SINGER R KELLY’S GUILTY VERDICT IS A WIN FOR #METOO: It was in October 2017 when actress Alyssa Milano reignited the ‘Me Too’ phrase, first coined in 2006 by sexual assault survivor Tarana Burke. Milano’s tweet, calling out to people who had been sexually assaulted of harassed to change their status to #MeToo, quickly turned into a movement, one that shook the very foundations of the powerbrokers who had been using their might to suppress the weak. Tumbling down like house of cards was the empire ruled by disgraced media mogul Harvey Weinstein, while powerful names such as Kevin Spacey and Woody Allen were also called out in the aftermath. Today, nearly four years later, the landmark decision by a jury that found R Kelly guilty on all nine federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges is not just a victory for the women and minors he physically and emotionally abused over the course of 30 years, but it also serves as a battle cry for women all over who have suffered in silence. While the disgraced R’n’B singer faces 10 years, the mandatory minimum, to life in prison for the charges, his time to exploit others is finally up.[COMMENT BY: Bindu Rai, Entertainment Editor]
AP