As promised, here's the follow-up to my exclusive interview with Ricardo Thornton aka Ricky Romance, brother of B2K's Raz B. As all of you know by now, Raz B and Ricky have made child molestation allegations against music svengali Chris Stokes, which Raz B later recanted in what seemed to many in the blogosphere to be a coerced video retraction (the video has since been removed from YOUTUBE). Chris Stokes and Raz B's former group member Omarion have made separate official statements denying the abuse allegations.
We're lauching THE NEW URBAN officially in 2008, but this story gripped me, because I'm a victims' rights advocate at heart. And talking to Ricky about the manipulation, seduction and systematic abuse patterns he and his brother endured, their allegations very closely reminded me of other abuse and exploitation stories I've encountered.
Do I believe them? I'm inclined to, and I hope they seek legal action. Most child sexual abuse victims don't know their rights in situations like this. For boys in particular the shame of it all can compel them to never speak out. Victims often blame themselves, like Ricky does, thinking that maybe they brought it on. And because most victims know their abusers intimately and don't immediately recognize what they endure as abuse, some even love the same person who harmed them.
This is a tangled pied-piper style web, kids, and TNU doesn't pretend to be a court of law where people are innocent until proven guilty. You see the law is blind, but in the age of Youtube style surveillance, we certainly don't have to be.....
----
PART II OF OUR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW w/ RICKY ROMANCE:
TNU: In a press release, Omarion came out against the allegations that you and Raz B are making about Chris Stokes. Have you talked to him?
RICKY ROMANCE: Omarion is brainwashed. That’s it. And, listen, Omarion ain’t make no statement. I know that because I know his PR person. Chris made a statement for Omarion. Omarion doesn’t do nothin that doesn’t go through Chris first. And what he doesn’t realize is, Chris don’t give a fuck about him.
TNU: Stokes has worked with several groups, Immature, B2K. Predators tend to carefully choose their victims based upon their vulnerabilities. Do you believe this was the case with Stokes?
RICKY ROMANCE: I can’t say for a fact that everyone got molested, but I know a lot definitely did and I won’t name names, but…. There was this kid Quindon who Chris worked with, and he’s ready to speak out. I mean, he doesn’t want his name out there, but he really wants to talk and come forward. And with IMX…. Marques Houston and Chris Stokes have been lovers for years. Yeah, Chris is married, and it's a real marriage as far as them bein down for each other, but Marques will always be there. Why do you think all through the B2K period he was keepin Marques Houston's name alive when Marques was over...They had to shout out IMX, who gave a fuck about IMX??? It's b/c Chris was, you know, with Marques.... That's why he kept poppin up. He told [the boys in B2K] always say my name and always say IMX.
TNU: Do you believe Marques’s relationship with Chris began when Marques was younger?
RICKY ROMANCE: I know it did. Look, Marques had lived with Chris since before his mom died. I don’t know if you’ve ever been on a tour bus before, but we’d be at truck stops and Marques would get off and buy a box of Magnum condoms and, I mean, wasn’t no girls on that bus, so what you need a box of condoms for? And you know on the bus there’s a room all the way in the back. So all of us would be sittin in the front of the bus and Chris and Marques would always be in the backroom watchin’ movies, just the two of ‘em and nobody said anything but we knew what was goin’ on. Marques Houston likes girls and messes with girls, but he’s a bisexual man, everyone knows that.
TNU: Chris Stokes is married. He has kids too right?
RICKY ROMANCE: I love [Chris’s wife], she’s a great person. She’s been there for him, she’s crazy about him. He finally married her after B2K broke up because he needed a new image. Like I said, that’s my family, and this hurts, but I’m not gonna hide what I know, because it happened and it’s wrong. It’s fucked people’s lives up, and I’m the kind of person who stands up for people.
----
This sad story is certainly not over. I have several well placed sources on both sides, and have a lot of information I can't share just yet. In fact, I decided to omit some of what Ricky and I discussed, because, while this is a gossip blog, it's also important to me that the people I interview are protected.
GAY OR STRAIGHT?
A lot of blog banter on this matter has swirled around who's gay and who's not. Come on people. My view is that when you're talking about sexual assault there's no gay or straight, and even less so when you're referring to children. Victims are victims. Period.
People wonder, "How could Raz B let that sort of thing continue unless he liked it?" I haven't spoken to Raz B, so I don't know his reasons, but I do know that children, especially children from broken homes or neglect-ridden backgrounds, will take love and attention anyway it comes. This is especially true if the person abusing the child is also a protector and provider. Predators know this, and those are the children they attack -- the children who don't feel worthy enough to speak up for themselves, or have no where to turn.
Stay tuned y'all... Stay urban...
23 comments:
I like what i've seen so far with this blog....DEF will be a frequent visitor in the '08!
good stuff. lets keep this movin in '08
I feel so bad for these young men, they are in need of lots of therapy. God bless them. I had a cousin that was molested by one of my aunties boyfriend when he was young. I'm not sure if he told anybody back then, but what I do know is he that it messed with his mind so much to the point where he felt he needed revenge. He told me it was that or go crazy. See, he would see this man in the neighborhood throughout the years and couldn't take it any more knowing what kind of pedo he was. My cousin did ten years for paralyzing that man.
WOOOOOOOOOOOOW is all I can say. The condoms statement is EXPLOSIVE! OMG I just can't believe this shit. Man O Man the internet is a beautiful thing. I swear!
Incredible story. Ricky's story seems so real that it'd be naive to imagine that at the very least SOME OF IT isn't true. As far as Stokes sending the streets at Raz, that's what weenies do. Hopefully, these cats stay strong and realize that there's nothing to be ashamed of. I was molested by a cousin when I was 5 and wasn't able to talk about it until I was 17 and grown enough to realize that child molestation is about as common as anything else in society, seriously. I thought many times about whoopin his muthafuckin ass (my cousin), but realized that the best way to hit him was to put it out there to the family and let him carry all the shame around. Life is a trip, que no?
I THINK THAT CHRIS DTOKES SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AND LOCKED UP IF AND WHEN HE IS FOUNG GUILTY! i TAKE MY HAT OFF TO RICKY AND RAZ FOR THE SIMPLE FACT THAT THEY ARE BOTH GROWN MAN AND DIDNT LET THEIR PRIDE STOP THEM FROM REVEALING THE TRUTH OF A PEDOPHILE.
It makes me sick to my stomach for someone to take a child's innocence, mess them up emotionally for life and then all they have to say about it is, "I don't do that no more!" Well let me tell you that don't mean crap when your victim goes from a hurt, abused, confused child to a hurt, abused, confused adult.... trying to raise healthy kids. It's only by the grace of GOD that anyone can overcome such injustice!!!! I look forward to more from The New Urban. Stay in the WORD
and Stay BLESSED yall!!! KayLaLa WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/JAHBOYZ3 *OPTIMISTIC*SAY THE NAME*PRAISEJUMP
Props to you for this interview! I believed both of them from the start and I hope that Chris Stokes gets whats coming to him!
Cheers..and much success on your blog in 08!
Speaking of condoms..it just struck me that when Marques was on MTV CRIBS(which was like a long tym ago..I dnt even know y I still rememba..but i do), he had a WHOLE lot of condoms in his bedside drawer? Where they meant for Chris? Hmmmmmmmm
very serious interview! What these two brothers need to do is to press charge against chris stokes, those nasty rumors had been going on for years, you see why child molesters go around molesting kids for ever? People need to stop protecting these pedophiles. I'm glad these two come out with the truth. If they were lying, I believe Chris Stokes and Marques Houston would have defended themselves much more agressively than what we have seen so far, but they seem to just lay low in the hope that all this dies down. It's plainly disgusting! I will no longer purchase nor support anything associated with christ stokes.
I believe this story and have from the very beginning;this is, more than, a case of molesting, but, incest, so, a lot more is involved. Family ties. I'm a survivor of incest and I can tell you - they threaten you with breaking up the family, and they tell you all types of lies to keep the momentum going.
Marquez H. begin to see his abuse as love, especially, because, his mother died, and his abuser offered him solace, as well as,financial security.
The man who molested me from3 years old til 15, always, told me that he was teaching me, protecting, and loving me.
I blocked all of that shit out, but, memories came out of no where. The guy who rapped me was my older cousin. He's married (after living an a gay man the majority of his adult life) and is in the church now, but, I still hate him. I probally always will hate his guts. These guys had better get into therapy. Quick.
THIS STORY IS CRAZY SOMEONE SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THE EPISODE WHEN MH WAS ON CRIBS. I REMEMBER THAT WHEN HE HAD THE DRAWER FULL OF COMDOM HE HAD EVER DIFFERENT COLOR, TALKING BOUT WHEN THE LADIES COME OVER YOU PICK AND ONE YOU WANT HE SAID SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BACJK TO THE STORY NO ONE SAID ASKED HIM WHY HE WAS BUYING THE CONDOMS? THATS CRAZY I BELIEVE RICKY R. AND RAZ-B. I GOT A FEELING THIS STORY IS GOING TO GET MORE INTERESTING IN 08.
This is crazy. I feel bad for those boys. If that would ever happen to my family we'd be riding out on a nicca. Fa real.ur blog is the bizness! Keep it comin' hunny!! Happy new year
ALOT of r&b singers are undercover punks! lol
I always thought that those boys had a little sugar in them. It came to no suprise that someone had been "playing with them." If this is true, Stokes needs to be delt with accordingly by the law.
Chris Stokes, will no longer be in 08.....As soon as he takes that trip up North.
Wow. I can't imagine that these guys are coming out of nowhere with this. Molestation is serious as hell, you don't just cry wolf on this type of thing..... I'm shocked as hell... Wonder how the other 2 of B2K feel about this?
Will defininetly be here waiting for the rest....
My heart goes out to the family. Not only is this disgusting,it is absolutely embarassing.Confessing something like that commands a tremendous amount of courage.People often speculate about these brother's motives for coming forward but I think they just wanted to be free. That is some heavy sh#%t to carry around for all those years.It was just time for them to be free. My prayers are with them.
This is a nice site , seems as if everyone is mature,
I truly believe these young men, i hope justice will prevail.
I don't even know where to begin. As close as all of them were it is not hard to believe that Stokes would do something like this. They looked @ him like a father figure. I believe it's true too because Ricky Romance is keeping it going. If it weren't true he woulda shut up w/Razz's recant. I love their music but they did have any unusually close relationship w/stokes. Plus when they 1st broke up(b2k) J Boog said something about being/feeling raped too. He later took back what he said also. Maybe Razz didn't feel comfortable speaking out @ that time so Boog let it go. This is just a shame. Those boys were passionate about their craft and all Stokes wanted was to sexually assult those young boys. If you don't believe it, look @ the houses they USED to have on cribs and look @ where they live now...did the cars & houses just dissappear? Or did Stokes take it all back when they wouldnt cooperate anymore?
I am a believer if for any other reason than the fact that the intire senario is so text book. And I do understans why MH and others would fear speaking. They are portrayed as very masculin sexual heterosexual men, as they fear the egnorants of people who would use the GAY CARD instead of having compassion for a raped brother. It's not a choice to be taking advantage of. And as for the guys hired/cooersed into threatning RAZ, just for the record that was GAY! When real men are going out making threats to protect another mans sexuality. MORE LOVERS!!!!!!! Guys you got played!
This is just heart-breaking to hear that any person was molested. It makes you really feel for them as best you can. I really enjoyed B2K's music and personalities. I hope that they seek whatever help they need, whether legal and/or therapy. Chris used them to make a quick buck and a quick...you get the point.
This is a sad, sad situation. Chris Stokes is a disgusting, perverted creep who has no game (look at him) that preys on individuals who are vunerable and he can control. Most people who have a poor image of themselves find weak people to befriend and take advantage of them. Like it was mentioned in the article, many of the victims don't want to come forward because they are afraid of what the media might make of them. I applaud Raz-B and his Brother for speaking out regarldless of anyones sexual preference this shit was just wrong as hell!!!!!-Aisha
Post a Comment