Chicago Restaurant Under Siege Online After Owner Bailed Out R. Kelly

The woman who posted $100,000 bail to release R. Kelly from Cook County Jail on Monday evening also owns a Chicago restaurant — and that restaurant is under internet siege from people angry at her support of the Chicago R&B star who has been charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

Valencia Love, who owns the near south suburban restaurant Love on the Blu, was revealed in multiple news reports as the person who paid to free Kelly after originally only identified on the bond slip as “friend.” Since then the restaurant’s Yelp page has been flooded with angry reviews including “The owner supports a pedophile...I would never support such a place” and “I really don’t need to frequent a restaurant whose owner is OK with bailing out R Kelly...Bad, bad move, lady.”

Yelp has covered the page with an “unusual activity alert” and a top banner that reads “this business is being monitored by Yelp’s Support team for content related to media reports.” Yelp often implements the temporary monitor and cleanup practice for business pages that are besieged by negative reviews that pertain to controversial news stories that involve the business, its owners, or employees.

Love on the Blu is a full-service brunch-focused restaurant at 12454 S. Western Avenue in Blue Island. It opened in February 2018 and was known for employing the chef services of Derek Rylon, who drew crowds for his work at the popular Lincoln Park brunch spot Batter & Berries. Rylon has since left to work at the revamped Frances’ Deli in Lincoln Park.

Love didn’t respond to Eater’s request for comment. Fox Chicago spoke with Love, who said the money she used to pay Kelly’s bail wasn’t hers. She wouldn’t reveal the source of the money. Love also said she was helping a friend in need, R.Kelly, who says he’s innocent. She said the court will decide that’s true.

The reporter, Tia A. Ewing, tweeted some of her interview notes. Check out the snapshot below to read a few more snippets from the interview along with the conversation it’s inciting online.