An arrest warrant was issued for R. Kelly's former manager after he allegedly threatened the family of one of his accusers, according to a CNN report released Wednesday. The R&B singer is allegedly holding Joycelyn Savage against her will, according to her family, though she denies the allegations.
James Mason was cited in an incident report for threatening Joycelyn Savage's father, Timothy. "I'm going to do harm to you and your family, when I see you I'm gonna get you, I'm going to f**king kill you," Mason was quoted as saying in the police report, obtained by CNN.
Mason reportedly made the threat against Timothy Savage in May 2018. The incident was passed on to a magistrate judge in Georgia, who responded by issuing a warrant against Mason for his "terroristic threats and acts" in July.
Joycelyn Savage's family was featured in Lifetime's docuseries, Surviving R. Kelly, which revealed Kelly's longtime history of alleged abuse against young women and girls. The special included dozens of interviews with people formerly associated with Kelly, in addition to a number of women detailing their own claims of Kelly's alleged abuse.
Timothy Savage and his family have long accused the singer of operating a sex cult, of which they claim Joycelyn Savage is being treated as a sex slave by Kelly—a situation that was first called to attention in a Buzzfeed report in 2017. The Savages have not seen Joycelyn Savage, who still lives with Kelly, in two years.
Joycelyn Savage has denied being held against her will. She disputed her parent's accusations in a video released by TMZ in 2017, however, her family says the video was staged and Joycelyn Savage was manipulated into the recording.
Investigators in Georgia made contact with various witnesses included in the Lifetime docuseries, according to a TMZ report released Tuesday. The Chicago Sun-Times also confirmed Joycelyn Savage's family was contacted by authorities after the special aired last week. "Her family is encouraged by the investigation, but they will be happy once they get to see their daughter," Gerald Griggs, Savage's family attorney, said in a statement.
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