It’s no secret that R. Kelly has been in the news over the years for controversial issues that date back nearly 20 years ago. Most recently, the singer has been hit with more allegations of abuse and sexual misconduct. These accusations are once again putting the R&B singer in the spotlight with the premiere of a new Lifetime series titled, “Surviving R. Kelly” that premiered at the beginning of January.
The series revisits all of the previous allegations Kelly has faced during his career. The docu-series includes interviews with Kelly’s alleged victims, witness, and people who have been close with Kelly over the years. Lifetime says the series discusses the rumors of abuse, pedophilia, and predatory behavior some people have had the misfortune of experiencing. Kelly and his lawyer allege that the series is riddled with false accusations, citing his accusers as seeking further fame.
Kelly’s legal troubles began back in 2002 when he was charged with 21 counts of child pornography. Included in this discovery was a videotape of the singer himself having a sexual encounter with a minor. After facing trial in 2008, he was acquitted on all charges. However, his questionable behavior began even earlier. In 1994, the singer married his protegee, singer Aaliyah. At the time of the marriage, Kelly was 27, and Aaliyah was only 15 years old. Her family moved to annul the marriage as soon as they found out. Now, the series is presenting viewers with everything that went unnoticed over the years.
Though Kelly has been facing allegations for years now, he still holds support among his die-hard fans, who continue to defend the singer. The producers of the docu-series also had a hard time finding celebrities who worked with Kelly to appear in the series, as they wanted to remain separated from allegations and controversy, making it all the more difficult for the truth to be brought to light.
Many people are hopeful that this series will help shepherd the end of Kelly’s career. More importantly, people want justice for the many alleged victims who have faced this brutality and manipulation over the years, while the law failed to protect them.