R. Kelly says there's "something strange" about Cosby accusers

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 (UPI) -- R. Kelly questioned Bill Cosby's accusers and provided details on his relationship with Aaliyah during a feature in GQ.

The R&B singer compared the allegations against actor Bill Cosby to sexual assault allegations that he faced during his career in a question and answer piece entitled "The Confessions of R. Kelly".

Kelly admitted to being a fan of Cosby and adopting the parenting style of his character Dr. Cliff Huxtable from The Cosby Show saying, "When my kids were born, I was Bill Cosby in the house. You now, the good one. You know, let's be clear there: how we saw Bill Cosby when we were coming up."

While Kelly alluded to the change in public perception surrounding Cosby, he responded with skepticism when asked his thoughts on the sexual assault allegations against the actor.

"When I look on TV and I see the 70, 80, 90-year-old ladies talking about what happened when they were 17, 18 or 19, there's something strange about it," he said "That's my opinion It's just strange."

He also offered a comparison to his own history of sexual assault charges and called all the women who he accused him of assault "liars". He also expressed regret on settling his assault cases out of court, saying he believed it caused the public to perceive him as guilty.

"I want to fight because I know I'm right, I know I'm innocent, have nothing to hide - she wanted me, I wanted her, she was of age, I'm of age," he said. "But she'll say, 'Well I didn't meet him here, I met him then'. That's what they'e saying."

Kelly also addressed his alleged relationship with singer Aaliyah and cited to respect for Aaliyah's family as the reason he remains tight-lipped regarding details of their relationship.

"I will never have that conversation with anyone," he said. "Out of respect for Aaliyah and her mother and father who has asked me not to personally. But I can tell you I loved her, I can tell you she loved me, we was very close."

He described their relationship as best friends and mentioned that "there's a lot of ways to be in love with a person."

When asked if he felt he did any wrong in his relationship with the young singer he replied strongly in the negative.

"Absolutely not," he said. "That's my answer forever: Absolutely not."