R. Kelly Interview ‘Helped Him’ Despite Bad Press, Publicist Says

Gayle King Interviews R. Kelly (Credit: CBS)

Despite making him appear unhinged and turning him into a punchline on late-night TV,  R. Kelly’s interview with Gayle King was a good thing, his publicist said Monday night.

Darrell Johnson sat down with Don Lemon on CNN Tonight to discuss the latest development’s in the singer’s sex abuse case.

Lemon played a clip of the moment Kelly jumped out of his seat and exploded last week on CBS This Morning. He then asked Johnson if he thought Kelly’s interview was “helpful.”

“I mean, how do you act when you’re going to spend the rest of your life in prison? I thought it was a real moment,” Johnson told Lemon.

“I think the interview needed to happen, I really do believe it,” added Johnson, who said he specializes in crisis public relations. “There are several things that happened, that followed after that. So yes, I think it did help him. I don’t think the emotions were going so high. I think he was just being himself.”

Read MoreR. Kelly Trial: Girl From 2008 Case Tells Court the Singer Abused Her ‘Hundreds’ of Times

Johnson didn’t elaborate on how the interview may have helped Kelly. But he did say fans paid the $161,000 the singer owed in back child support to secure his release from jail over the weekend.

Kelly was taken into custody on Wednesday, March 6, following a hearing in Chicago for failing to pay his ex-wife, Andrea Kelly, back child support by a court-ordered deadline.

Johnson said Kelly went to court with $60,000, but the judge demanded he pay the full amount, or be taken to jail. The Bump n’ Grind singer was released from custody on Saturday after the money was paid.

As he left jail, Kelly stopped to talk to reporters and vowed to straighten out the situation.

“I promise you, we’re going to straighten all this stuff out,” he said, without explaining what “stuff” he was talking about.

Last month Kelly was charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse for allegedly abusing four females, including three minors between 1998 and 2010.

Kelly has denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the charges.