Riley has to deal with the consequences of what he said years ago in the wake of the first R. Kelly trial.
Disclaimer: I do not own The Boondocks.
Riley Freeman Gets "Me Too"ed
Chapter One: The Shit Hits the Fan
Riley felt in his soul that this week was going to be like no other. The season's finale to Strong Domain premiered Friday, as the show's main character its success was a reflection of his talent. There was no doubt in his mind this finale would be explosive. He was pumped for the weekend. Until then, he'd be busy all week with interviews and publicity events.
This was the life. Riley always dreamed he would live a lavish lifestyle. He was a rich and famous black man with houses, fancy cars, weapons, fat stacks, and a reputation as a hustler. Everyone knew his name. Everyone knew he was a boss. They may not like him, but they respected him. He had tons of haters. However, their energy fueled Riley. He made sure they saw him living his best life. Since he was an actor, his grind was legal. There was nothing anybody could do to take his paper away. Riley was always about his paper.
He'd been enamored with celebrities since childhood. People probably thought he was too immature to learn from mistakes, but he did. Nothing was going to stop him from winning. He stayed in shape. Sexiness sells. A few thirst traps on Instagram always helped keep his fans faithful and wanting more. However they rarely got it off-screen. Riley wasn't one for unprotected sex. Too many in the industry took medication for life, boosting their immune systems and preventing painful outbreaks. The last raw pussy he felt was Tara Hizenborough in high school during his hoe days. Although he was still sexually active, he was extremely selective. He only messed with women who had strong goals, women he absolutely knew a scandal, relationship, and baby would derail them. Even then, those random hookups never happened without latex. They also didn't happen with alcohol. Riley didn't drink. He also didn't do anything with women who weren't sober. There would be no babies, baby mamas, STD scares, or rape allegations his way. He wouldn't fall to alcoholism either, nor would he get a DUI. Riley didn't do drugs, with the rare occasion from weed his former art teacher. He also had a close friend do his taxes. He had security so he didn't need to fight or commit crimes. Riley also had his brother read his contracts before he learned the game. As far as Riley was concerned, only death could ruin his career.
Bzzztttt bzzztttt bzzztttt
Riley ignored his phone.
Bzzztttt bzzztttt bzzztttt bzzztttt bzzztttt bzzztttt bzzztttt bzzztttt bzzztttt bzzztttt bzzztttt bzzztttt
His phone was buzzing, blowing up. That was odd. The episode hadn't dropped, who was trying to reach him. The last time his phone blew up like this, he got news that his grandfather had died. Uneasiness filled him. His optimistic feeling was becoming one of suspicion. Swallowing, Riley checked his phone. It was his brother.
"Nigga, you got any idea what time it is? Shit!"
"Don't leave your house today."
That was ominous. "What?"
"Stay put until I get there."
Riley smacked his teeth, "Man, what the fuck did you get yourself into, Huey?!"
"Nah, this one's all you. The Me Too Movement is after you?"
Riley stared at his phone in disbelief. No way. He was a lot of things, but rapist wasn't one of them. "After me?! I ain't rape nobody! What the fuck? What bitch out there lying on me?! I'm gonna sue the fuck out her ass. None of these hoes loyal!"
"Nobody's saying you raped them. It's what you said."
Riley felt a little bit of relief. His stoic brother had to be playing a sick joke on him. It wouldn't be the first time. "You take shit too far with yo' jokes. Nigga I ain't say shit, I don't do nothing political."
"Yeah, now, but you were quick to be ignorant on TV when we were kids. I tried to stop you." Riley was stumped. "R. Kelly."
It took a bit of time, but Riley finally remembered his words.
"You there, urban youth, why do you think R. Kelly is innocent?"
""If I started peeing on you right now, would you A) smile and ask for more or B) move the hell out of the way? But before you answer that, let me ask America, has pee ever really hurt anybody? And I want to give a big shoutout to my homie, Dibo; what's up!"
"Okay that's enough."
"Get off me! Get off me, Huey! Free R. Kelly! Free R. Kelly! Free R. Kelly! Free R. Kelly!"
"Fuck."
"Yep."
Riley thought about the impact this would make on his image. Why the fuck did he have to chant that shit four times! Why didn't he stay home like his granddad wanted?! Riley was a lot of things, but dumb wasn't one of them. He knew how the public reacted to things like this. He was going to lose half of his fan-base. The remaining half would only consist of those who thought R. Kelly was innocent, those that would ride with him because he was sexy and black, and those that didn't give a damn about celebrities' personal lives. The show might be boycotted. If he lost the show, it would be hard to pick up another gig while branded a rape apologist. Riley cursed again. He didn't even like R. Kelly's old ass music anymore. He didn't even know the man like that. Why was he getting roped into his madness? "Let me deal with your social media. Zany is flying out to you. Do what she says."
Riley hated when Huey bossed him around. "Nigga I'm a grown-"
"Do what she says, Riley." And with that Huey hung up. Riley stared at his phone. He had so many notifications. He debated clicking on of his apps to see what people thought. Were his fans still his fans? Were his friends still his friends? How was his image?
Riley signed onto Twitter. Unfortunately, he was trending. The first message he saw, set the tone.
"Canceled."
(A/N) Like my other fanfiction, Selling Out, this one is a commentary. This is a very sensitive issue, but I'm going to be honest about the different points of view from Black people when it comes to sexual assault and the Me Too movement. There will also be a romantic backstory to make sure this content doesn't get too overwhelming.
Next Chapter: Thugnificent's oldest daughter, Tanzania, coaches Riley on what to say.