Iyanla Vanzant, the spiritual adviser and television host, has publicly asked imprisoned singer R. Kelly to forgive her. She says she and the wider Black community failed him when he needed help.

Vanzant spoke straight to Kelly during an appearance on "The Jason Lee Show." She framed her remarks as an apology from an elder who had not been there for him.

"Forgive me for abandoning you," she said. She went on to say the whole community had turned its back on the R&B star. "As an elder, I'm going to own it."

Questions about who profited

The former host of "Iyanla: Fix My Life" also turned her focus to the people around Kelly. She said some of them knew about his problems yet let things continue while they made money from his career.

She pointed to reports that Kelly has long struggled to read. Vanzant asked why nobody who got rich from his music cared enough to sit with him a few times each week and teach him.

She tied that neglect to what she described as a deeply troubled heart and soul before asking once more for his forgiveness.

A convicted abuser

Kelly is serving an effective 31-year federal prison term. He was convicted in separate cases in New York and Chicago of sexually exploiting women and underage girls.

Vanzant did not dispute those verdicts or call for him to be freed. Her comments centered instead on whether community elders and people who profited from his fame could have stepped in sooner.

Her words touch a sore point. For years many Black women, survivors and advocates spoke up about the accusations against Kelly and often faced a backlash for it. Their push helped put a new spotlight on claims that had circulated long before federal prosecutors won their convictions.