Content Warning: This article discusses sexual assault, and rape. If you or someone you know are affected by the following story, you are not alone. To speak to someone, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732.
R. Kelly has responded to the recent Surviving R. Kelly documentary, revealing he hasn’t viewed it, but is disgusted by its claims.
Premiering late last week, Lifetime’s Surviving R. Kelly is an in-depth look at the accusations made against the controversial artist, including such claims that he has had sex with underage girls, has physically abused numerous women, and even ran a “sex cult” from his Chicago home.
While the documentary has broken viewership records for the US network, it’s also had a rather unfortunate side-effect, with Kelly’s music receiving a 16% surge on streaming service Spotify.
Despite the fact that R. Kelly threatened to file a federal lawsuit against Lifetime if the documentary went to air, its premiere appears to have rattled the artist, who is reportedly furious at the series.
As TMZ reports, close sources with R. Kelly have explained that he is “disgusted” by the documentary, claiming it’s a “vendetta” made against him by his detractors.
Despite the fact that R. Kelly has reportedly not watched any part of the documentary series, he apparently states that he doesn’t know half of the people interviewed in the program, while others oppose him for personal and professional reasons.
The sources also claim that producers refused to interview people who wanted to defend R. Kelly. As a result, the artist is again planning to go to court, with a source claiming “he’s going to sue everybody who had anything to do with this.”
Just yesterday, footage of an interview included in the Surviving R. Kelly documentary was released, with Chance The Rapper explaining his decision to make music with the controversial artist was “a mistake”.
“Making a song with R. Kelly was a mistake,” Chance explained in an interview with Cassius‘ Jamilah Lemieux. “At the time, it wasn’t even present in my mind that people could feel any type of way about his presence on a track of mine.”
“I think for a long time I was only able to understand R. Kelly’s situation and presence in the world when it comes down to his trial and his accusations and his accusers as a victim. I don’t know if that’s because I’m from Chicago or ‘cause he made great music or ‘cause he is a black man.”
Check out the trailer for Surviving R. Kelly:
