Kaalan “KR” Walker, who played the role of “Juju” in the 2018 remake of the classic Blaxploitation film Superfly, has been convicted of raping multiple women and teenagers after luring them with promises of assisting them with their entertainment and modeling careers.
Arrested in 2018 and charged with nine counts of sexual assault, on Monday (April 18), a jury found the 26-year-old guilty of sexually assaulting four women and three teenage girls, but was acquitted of sexual assault charges in connection to three other alleged victims. According to NBC Los Angeles, the actor and rapper, best known for his 2018 single, “Pop Out,” is facing a possible life sentence and will return to court for his next hearing on May 27.
“In each of the cases, aspiring models were contacted by Walker via social media with the premise of being hired to work professionally,” the Los Angeles Police Department previously said in a statement. “While alone, each of the victims reported that Walker sexually assaulted them.”
However, Walker’s attorney, Andrew Flier, portrayed his client as a sympathetic figure whose lies were accepted as truths by opportunists looking for self-gain, arguing that Walker was not at fault for the victims’ actions. “The pattern of Mr. Walker is to make false promises and they bought it. … Each one of these women voluntarily made their own decisions,” Flier reportedly told the jury. “He didn’t force them. … It’s payback to Mr. Walker and we’re not going to let that happen.”
One victim, Sydney Stanford, reacted to the verdict with a post on social media. “This has been happening since 2017,” Stanford wrote in the caption of a video commenting on the case. “It has felt like a never ending nightmare. I have been in survival mode for 5 years. It is finally over. May this be your reminder that justice IS possible. Your story does matter and that someone will believe you. This will never happen again. To all his survivors I have and haven’t met, I love you by default and congratulations.”
R&B singer Kehlani, a vocal supporter of Walker’s victims, also spoke out on social media after news of Walker being found guilty was announced. “This man is going to jail for the rest of his life. Guilty as hell,” Kehlani said on Instagram. “And it’s crazy that it took this…for y’all to believe it, because it should have been believed when all this sh*t came out.”
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