ONE of R Kelly's live-in "sex cult" girlfriends has claimed her parents told her to lie about her age to scam the R&B star out of money.

Azriel Clary - just 17 when she met him after a gig - spoke out to defend him in an emotional interview alongside his other lover Joycelyn Savage.

The girls' families have claimed they have been "brainwashed" and are being held against their will by the superstar, real name Robert Kelly.

But they angrily dismissed that on US channel CBS and said their parents were only after money.

Azriel, now 21, said: "When I first met Robert, he thought I was 18. My parents told me to lie about my age to him.

"They even lied to the police. They told the police that I was 18. They told R Kelly that I was 18.

Joycelyn, 23, added: "Everything she's saying is true. Both our parents are basically out here trying to get money and scam."

Azriel also broke down in tears as she slammed accusations she was in a sex cult as “stupid and ignorant”.

She said: "I am crying because you guys don’t know the truth.

“You guys believe in some f***ing facade that our parents are saying for money and if you can't see that then you're ignorant and you're stupid."

'SOLD BY PARENTS'
Earlier Kelly, 52, claimed the girls' parents "sold" them to him when they were teenagers.

CBS interviewer Gayle King asked him: "What kind of love is it that keeps these young women away from their families?"

Kelly replied: "I'm going answer your question - what kind of father, what kind of mother would sell their daughter to a man?"

He also claimed his accusers' families were out to destroy his career.

Kelly - facing ten sex abuse charges - tearfully protested his innocence in his first interview since his arrest last month.

And he appeared to be physically restrained as he angrily loomed over the CBS journalist.

Asked if he held women against their will, he sobbed and looked directly at the camera saying: “I don’t need to – why would I?

“How stupid would that be for R Kelly, with all I’ve been through in my past, to hold somebody. Use your common sense.”

He became more agitated and banged on his chest as he exploded: “Stop it, quit playing. I didn’t do this stuff. This is not me.

“I’m fighting for my f***ing life.”

The I Believe I Can Fly singer also denied ever having sex with anyone under the age of 17.

Last night it was reported he was back in jail over £122,000 unpaid child support.

He spent three nights in custody after being charged last month with ten counts of aggravated sexual abuse involving four women - including three who were underage at the time.