One of R. Kelly’s ex-girlfriends sympathises with the young women the singer has allegedly brainwashed to serve as sex slaves, because she “got sucked into” the odd relationship too.

The Ignition (Remix) hitmaker has been at the centre of underage sex allegations for years, but his lifestyle has come under further scrutiny over the past year amid multiple accusations from relatives of his alleged lovers, who claim the musician is running a “sex cult”.

Kelly has repeatedly denied the reports, but in a new TV interview, two former girlfriends recalled how they became caught up in his alleged manipulation techniques, and became convinced they had no one but the 51-year-old to care for them.

Appearing on breakfast show Today, Asante McGee told presenter Megyn Kelly, “He pretty much tries to say that your family is jealous that you’re with him. Your family wants to be with him, and you’re happy and this is what you need to do. And if you disobey him, he would fake cry and make you sympathise.”

McGee claimed life as one of Kelly’s lovers was a closely-monitored affair, with the women having to ask for permission to use the bathroom.

“I had to use the restroom and texted him, ‘Daddy, I need to use the restroom,’” she shared. “We were required to call him ‘Daddy…’ You would get in trouble if you didn’t.”

Another ex, Kitti Jones, added, “I had to wear sweatpants, I had to stand up when he would walk into the room. I did have to be on his phone plan. He would put a lot of his girlfriends on his phone plan so he could control who you were talking to, how often you talk to your family, what you’re texting. Things like that.”

The parents of Joycelyn Savage, who first went public with concerns about their daughter’s relationship with Kelly last year (17), also appeared on the show, as Jones admitted she can understand why women fall under the singer’s spell, as she sacrificed her life and career to be with the embattled R&B star.

“When you give up those things for love, you don’t think that person is going to turn into something else. You’re just in it,” said Jones, who previously claimed she was also beaten during their romance.

“I felt like I gave up everything and once I was there I was just in it. And the more I started learning about him I just got sucked into it. I felt like I didn’t have anything to go back to.”

R. Kelly’s representatives responded to the allegations made by his exes in a new statement issued to Today show producers, insisting the artist has become “the target of a greedy, conscious and malicious conspiracy to demean him, his family and the women with whom he spends his time”