Surviving R. Kelly, the Lifetime miniseries documenting the history of the allegations of sex crimes against the famed Chicago singer, prompted reactions online ranging from outrage against its participants to an increase in streaming numbers for R. Kelly, but one new development trumps all others. The six-part documentary has led authorities to open an investigation and reach out to survivors and their families, according to TMZ, which reports that the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office is looking into the claims that have been made by many of the show’s interviewees.
R. Kelly was accused in 2017 of holding several women against their will in a “sex cult,” by accusers who reported abusive techniques used by the singer to groom young women — some in their teens — and exert control over them as they were denied communication with concerned friends and family. While R. Kelly denied the allegations and lashed out against the #MuteRKelly movement that cropped up in response to them, he was forced to cancel some concerts due to lower ticket sales and concerns from promoters, while his lawyer and publicist quit over another documentary televised on BBC.
The reports of his sexual misconduct date all the way back to the ’90s when he was said to have forced the underage Aaliyah to marry him using forged documents, an event which Roc-A-Fella co-founder Dame Dash said led to the label’s eventual downfall and his split with Jay-Z. Meanwhile, R. Kelly’s attempt to attack his accusers online through a derogatory Facebook page was removed within hours.
