John Legend was reportedly the only major musician who agreed to appear in Surviving R. Kelly, Lifetime’s six-part doc series on the many disturbing allegations against the titular R&B artist. The show premiered Thursday night, and it covers accusations that include domestic abuse, child sex, a sex cult, and more. Producer Dream Hampton couldn’t get anyone in the industry to go on record — not Mary J. Blige, not Erykah Badu, not Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson. Legend was it. Still, don’t call him a hero, at least according to Legend himself.
To everyone telling me how courageous I am for appearing in the doc, it didn't feel risky at all. I believe these women and don't give a fuck about protecting a serial child rapist. Easy decision.
— John Legend (@johnlegend) January 4, 2019
“To everyone telling me how courageous I am for appearing in the doc, it didn’t feel risky at all,” Legend tweeted the night the first episode aired. “I believe these women and don’t give a f*ck about protecting a serial child rapist. Easy decision.”
Legend also gave a shout-out to A Long Walk Home, a non-profit dedicated to creating awareness of abuse.
Neal Brennan, co-creator of Chappelle’s Show, also tweeted about the show, specifically about how it covered the so-called “pee tape,” a video from 2002 that allegedly showed the singer urinating on an underage girl with whom he was having relations.
R. Kelly factoid: We did a sketch on Chappelle's Show where Dave absurdly argued in court that R. Kelly's pee could have been digital. Three years later, his lawyers actually argued the same thing and beat the case. 😝 #SurvivingRKelly
— Neal Brennan (@nealbrennan) January 4, 2019
“We did a sketch on Chappelle’s Show where Dave absurdly argued in court that R. Kelly’s pee could have been digital. Three years later, his lawyers actually argued the same thing and beat the case,” Brennan wrote.
Kelly has threatened to sue Lifetime, as per TMZ.
