Romeoville Woman Who Bailed Out R. Kelly Says She Used His Money

ROMEOVILLE, IL — A Romeoville woman who posted $100,000 cash bond to free singer R. Kelly on Monday said she didn't use her own money to do it, according to ABC Chicago. "It was his own money," Valencia Love told the outlet. "I just posted [bond] for him."

Kelly turned himself in after he was charged with 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse and accused of abusing four different victims, three of whom were under age 17 at the time. The allegations date back nearly two decades.

On Saturday, a judge set the R&B singer's bail at $1 million. After he spent the weekend in the Cook County jail, Love, who listed a Romeoville address, posted 10 percent, or $100,000, to secure his release.

On Monday, Kelly's attorney Steve Greenberg said arrangements were being made to pay the singer's bail, saying Kelly was dealing with financial issues such as mismanagement and bad contracts.

After leaving the Cook County Jail on Monday, Kelly reportedly went to a McDonald's to eat — the same McDonald's where journalist Jim DeRogatis said a lawsuit alleged he picked up a 16-year-old girl, still in her prom dress, in 1998.

"She began a sexual relationship with him, at 16, he impregnated her and forced her to have an abortion," DeRogatis said, according to WGN.

Romeoville resident Love reportedly identified herself as a "good friend" of the singer to ABC. She also told the Herald-News she is a childhood friend of Kelly's, adding, "If your friend was in trouble, wouldn't you bail them out?"

WGN said there were "conflicting reports" as to how Love knows the singer, however, since Kelly's friend and manager Don Russell reportedly said the two met on a Lake Michigan cruise last September. A woman who claimed to be Love told the Sun-Times that Russell's statement was inaccurate.

Though she reportedly told ABC she did not use her own money to bail out Kelly, she told the Herald-News, "He's out. It doesn't matter who [posted it]. I only helped a friend out."

Multiple outlets reported that Love owns a restaurant named Love on the Blu in Blue Island, and the Herald-News reported she was a teacher for a Christian daycare called Lord and Child.

The Illinois Secretary of State's office lists a Valencia P. Love as a secretary for a Chicago daycare called Lordanchild Christian Day Care. That listing gives a Chicago address for Love.

A listing for Love on the Blu also shows Valencia P. Love as the restaurant's agent but gives a Crest Hill address for her.

Yelp! was reporting "unusual activity" on the review page for Love on the Blu, where users were posting reviews, apparently whether they'd eaten at the restaurant or not. Some of the new "reviews" — many from people who live in places including New York, Tennessee and Florida — criticized Love for helping Kelly despite the history of allegations against him.

In 2008, the singer was acquitted of child pornography charges.

On Friday, Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx said the new 10-count indictment against Kelly involves four victims and concerns incidents that took place between 1998 and 2010. Each count carries a possible sentence of three to seven years in prison if he's convicted.

Earlier this month, attorney Michael Avenatti said he handed over a VHS tape to Foxx of Kelly engaged in multiple sex acts with an underage girl. Avenatti said he's been working pro bono with multiple clients who have accused Kelly of sexual assault.

Greenberg maintains his client's innocence. "I think all the women are lying," Greenberg told WGN last week. "This has become … 'Hey, I can say R. Kelly did something. Boom.'"

After Kelly's bond hearing, Greenberg also told reporters his client did not force sex on anyone.

"He's a rock star. He doesn't have to have nonconsensual sex," Greenberg said.

Amber Fisher, Patch Staff, contributed to this report