The Daily Swarm

UPDATE: Maxine Daniels speaks:

“The statement that was issued by R. Kelly’s camp to TMZ, which I interpreted as an attempt to defame Regina and George Daniels, my dad and stepmom, has made it necessary for me to respond to some of those accusations: I take full responsibility for my actions. My stepmother and father didn’t know about my relationship with the singer because I knew and he knew that they wouldn’t approve… so I tried to keep it a secret, but when my stepmother found out about our relationship, she resigned because she felt that Rob had ‘crossed the line’ by dating a girl that he has known since she was 7 years old. My stepmom was not fired for incompetence. She was Rob’s publicist for 14 years and always considered Rob not just a client… but family. And Rob thought of my dad like a father.

“I am 21, smart and will be graduating from college this year, but I admit that I was swept up by his charming and generous ways, which I truly regret and have learned from. My brief relationship with Kelly last year ended because my parents were starting to hear rumors that we were together, and I was beginning to feel like it wasn’t a healthy situation, especially with the pain it was causing me and my family,” Maxine said. “I felt that it just wasn’t right. Also, in reference to my birthday party, which was held last spring, Regina did not push Rob to host the party. We both asked him… and he readily agreed.”

“In regards to the cell phone number, Regina didn’t give me Rob’s number and she didn’t ask me not to tell my dad. Rob personally slipped me his number at another event and that is how we started talking. The Internet has been rampant with all sorts of rumors for months now and hopefully this will clear things up. I admit I made a mistake and I know I am not the first young adult to make a serious misjudgment.”

VIBE: George Daniels Says R. Kelly Slept With His Daughter:

George Daniels, the husband of R. Kelly’s former publicist Regina Daniels, claimed on Los Angeles radio station KJLH this week that R. Kelly “crossed the line” with his daughter.

In 2007, Regina Daniels released a statement announcing her resignation from her post as R. Kelly’s publicist. “My resignation was effective as of August 28, 2007. Throughout the course of my 25 years as a publicist, I have prided myself on loyalty, respect and professionalism. It saddens me that I was not always shown those same courtesies during my 14 year tenure as Mr. Kelly’s publicist,” she wrote.

“Though I have a great appreciation for Mr. Kelly as an artist, there are some lines that should never be crossed professionally or personally. Mr. Kelly crossed a line that forever altered the scope of our relationship. For this reason I made the decision to resign. My husband, music retailer George Daniels, has also disassociated himself from Mr. Kelly.”

It was rumored Kelly slept with the Daniels’ then 21-year-old daughter, but was unconfirmed until recently, when Daniels, a respected music retail vet, came forward on Guy Black’s morning show.

“He crossed the line with my daughter,” Daniels said. “It didn’t get to the extreme of that [sex tape] video or else I wouldn’t be here, if you know what I’m talking about . . . When you’re 21, and if you’ve been there already like I’ve been many years ago, you’re still 15 to 16 mentally. You’re vulnerable.”

R. Kelly’s response:

“It’s hard to take seriously the moral outrage expressed by George and Regina Daniels over R. Kelly’s relationship with Mr. Daniels’ adult daughter, Maxine. The fact is that they had no problem with the relationship – indeed, they encouraged it – while Ms. Daniels was on Mr. Kelly’s payroll. It was Regina Daniels, then working as a publicist for Mr. Kelly, who persuaded him to attend her step-daughter’s 21st birthday party. And it was Regina Daniels who shortly thereafter gave her step-daughter Mr. Kelly’s private phone number, with the admonition: “Don’t tell your father.” It was only after Ms. Daniels resigned her position to avoid being fired for incompetence that her step-daughter’s relationship suddenly became an issue for her and her husband.”