R Kelly walks out of HuffPost live interview after being questioned about sex assault claims

Singer R Kelly allegedly walked out of a live television interview after being asked whether his poor records sales are because of previous allegations of sexual abuse.

The American artist, best known for his single I Believe I Can Fly, was found not guilty of 14 charges of possessing child abuse images in 2008 after a witness refused to testify.

Twelve years earlier, he is reported to have paid $250,000 to settle a case which alleged he had sex with a minor.

In an interview with HuffPost Live, host Caroline Modarressy-Tehrani asked the singer questions which had been posted on Twitter - with some suggesting the previous allegations against him had put fans off buying his new album The Buffet.

Kelly said fans were nothing but supportive but became increasingly frustrated when Ms Modarressy-Tehrani persisted with the subject.

He said: “If you don’t get something juicy, then your television show’s gonna be cut off, so I understand you have to do a job, but I have to do a job too.”

The 48-year-old singer added: “I didn’t come here for negative [sic]. I came here for positivity and I don’t give people who have negativity towards me the time of day. Especially if it was what, I don’t know how many years ago.”

Asked whether he had an “unhealthy attitude to sex”, Kelly replied: “I did not come here to get interrogated, I didn’t come here for a deposition ... If you don’t think you’re disrespecting me, that’s the level of your intelligence.”

At the end of the interview, Kelly unhooked his microphone and walked out of the studio while the cameras were still filming.