Last week on the LIFETIME channel, a six-episode series on the sexual-abuse allegations against R&B singer R. Kelly caused a firestorm of debate on social media. LIFETIME, mostly known for melodramatic TV movies featuring women in peril, surprised everyone with this series that scrutinized R. Kelly’s past associations with women.
Usually, the average nightly audience for a LIFETIME program is 3.5 million viewers. The Surviving R. Kelly series reached 20 million viewers! According to the early episodes, R. Kelly lured young women, some minors, into abusive sexual relationships by promising the women “a start in the music business.” R. Kelly is a 3-time Grammy Award winner with more than 20 platinum records. But stories about R. Kelly’s relationships with woman have dogged the singer for years. Kelly married his musical protege, Aaliyah, in 1994–when Aaliyah was just 15 (Kelly was 27 at the time). Aaliyah died in a plane crash in 2001.
Steven Greenberg, Kelly’s attorney, calls the series as “a one-sided presentation featuring a bunch of disgruntled former lovers, groupies, and former friends…. It’s a hit piece strictly for ratings.”
Lady Gaga, Common, and Chance the Rapper have expressed support for the women protesting R. Kelly’s alleged sexual abuse. I found the series compelling. What do you think? GRADE: B+
Did not watch it, but have been aware of the rumors for years (including some really gag-inducing stuff about what he liked to do sexually to young women). I have the same question for R. Kelly’s defenders that I have for the people who think Bill Cosby is innocent: why would so many women, knowing they’d probably be pilloried in at least part of the court of public opinion, come forward with these stories, all of which have striking similarities?
Deb, I totally agree with you. Why would a dozen women come forward with similar stories about R. Kelly’s abusive sexual relationships? Like Cosby, rumors of R. Kelly’s antics swirled around the singer…but nothing was done. Until now.
For publicity?
Rick, this is very very BAD publicity!
One could try to make the claim they are all lying, but this, like Cosby’s situation, is one that has been know of by all sorts of other people beyond the women and girls these jackasses, to put it too kindly, and their fellow-travelers, have been attacking over the years.
It’s past time. I stumbled across one of the early episodes and am glad it’s been as effective as it is overdue.
Todd, I found SURVIVING R. KELLY compelling. It’s a twisted story.
As much as I would discount 90% of anything said by someone who would hire Gloria Allred as her lawyer (sorry – my prejudice on open view here, but if his latest “victim” chose to get in bed with him knowing his reputation, then boo hoo), like Deb I have been hearing about Kelly’s disgusting antics for decades. I can’t understand why he is still walking around loose.
And no, there is NO way I would ever watch this.
Jeff, I tuned into SURVIVING R. KELLY just to see how LIFETIME was handling this explosive story…and I was drawn in by the testimony of the women who got involved with R. Kelly. People “looked the other way” when stories of Bill Cosby, R. Kelly, and Harvey Weinstein’s sexual practices came up. Now, the kind of behavior is bringing consequences!
I really don’t get these guys’ behaviour because I’m sure they would have found enough “willing women” – but of course an important aspect is that they often abused young girls (some just 15 years old!), not grown women which could decide themselves.
So maybe they wanted to show “I can get anything I want”, really horrible.
We’ve also had similar scandals in Europe and another dimension even of course is abuse of little girls and boys, by teachers e g!
Wolf, the local sexual abuse scandal here is the dozens of local Catholic priests who are charged with child abuse. Terrible tragedy for the victims!
This happened all over the world – and now the Pope is trying to make amends, much too late.
I don’t know what to say!
Wolf, the Catholic Church is in crisis.
I didn’t even know who he was. I assumed it was a fictional mini-series. Must pay more attention to contemporary music. Or culture.
The only thing I know of his – other than the reputation – is “I Believe I Can Fly.”
Jeff, “I Believe I Can Fly” is decades old. R. Kelly’s heyday was in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Patti, R. Kelly was a big R&B star, but he’s near the end of his career now. This LIFETIME series will probably ruin him. Who would offer R. Kelly a recording contract now? I’m sure Spotify and Pandora will remove his songs from their streaming services.
I wouldn’t, haven’t, didn’t waste a minute on this person or situation. I don’t listen to the music, watch the videos, or care about this. I can’t believe you lowered yourself to watch it, or post on it. I saw your reason, above, but…nope.
Rick, I was surprised that LIFETIME, best known for “Women in Danger” movies would air such an investigative series as SURVIVING R. KELLY. It is sensational.
Lifetime at times will attempt something a bit better than their usual run of supermarket gothics for tv, and this was one.
Todd, exactly! I was surprised by the quality of SURVIVING R. KELLY. LIFETIME was the last place I would have guessed as its boardcaster.
I have zero interest in this bozo but I hope he gets what’s coming to him!
Bob, I’m sure R. Kelly will be spending a lot of time in court.