Former R Kelly collaborators Lady Gaga and Jay-Z are among the musicians who have declined to be interviewed for a documentary series on the R&B star’s alleged history of abuse against young women. “It was incredibly difficult to get people who had collaborated with Kelly to come forward,” Surviving R Kelly executive producer dream hampton told the Detroit Free Press. Kelly has frequently denied the allegations.
Kelly collaborators Erykah Badu, Céline Dion and Dave Chappelle turned down interviews, said hampton, and Questlove, drummer with the Roots, also allegedly declined to participate. “I remember Ahmir [“Questlove” Thompson] was like, ‘I would do anything for you but I can’t do this’,” said hampton. “It’s not because they support him, it’s because it’s so messy and muddy. It’s that turning away that has allowed this to go on.”
In now-deleted tweets, Questlove claimed he declined an interview because he thought he was only being asked to praise Kelly and not condemn him. “I always thought Kels was trash,” he wrote. In another deleted tweet, hampton disputed Questlove’s claims, adding: “I told you I need Black male allies.” The Guardian has contacted representatives for Lady Gaga, Jay-Z, Badu, Dion, Chapelle and Questlove.
(August 31, 1994) Marries underage singer Aaliyah
Then 27, Kelly married protegée Aaliyah, then 15, in an illegal ceremony in Cook County, Chicago.
(February 3, 2002) Video emerges appearing to show Kelly urinating on minor
A sex tape passed to Chicago Sun Times journalist Jim DeRogatis appears to show Kelly urinating on and having sex with an underage girl, which Kelly denies.
(June 5, 2002) Indicted on 21 counts of child pornography
Officers recovered 12 images that allegedly depicted Kelly having sex with an underage girl. The charges are dropped in March 2004.
(June 13, 2007) Kelly cleared of 14 counts of child pornography
A Chicago jury found that the identity of the girl depicted in the urination video was not conclusive, acquitting Kelly of the charges.
(July 17, 2017) BuzzFeed reports that Kelly is holding women in a sex 'cult'
Three former members of Kelly's circle claimed Kelly was holding six women in properties in Chicago and Atlanta, controlling every aspect of their lives. Kelly denied the claims.
(August 22, 2017) Woman accuses Kelly of underage sex and physical abuse
Jerhonda Pace told Rolling Stone that she lost her virginity to Kelly age 16, and that she ended the relationship after he allegedly slapped, choked and spat on her.
(March 28, 2018) Accused of grooming 14-year-old as 'sex pet'
In a BBC3 documentary, former girlfriend Kitti Jones alleged that Kelly groomed an underage girl as well as her and other young women. Kelly refused to comment.
(April 17, 2018) Accused of 'intentionally' infecting women with STD
An unnamed woman told Dallas police that Kelly had given her an STD and attempted to recruit her into his alleged sex "cult" after the pair initiated a sexual relationship when she was 19. Kelly "categorically" denied all allegations.
(April 20, 2018) Kelly's lawyer, assistant and publicist quit
Kelly's spokesperson Trevian Kutti, entertainment lawyer Linda Mensch and assistant Diana Copeland confirmed they were no longer working with the singer.
(April 30, 2018) Time's Up's Women of Color branch support #MuteRKelly movement
The group published an open letter in support of the campaign to suppress Kelly's work. Kelly described the campaign as the "attempted lynching of a black man".
(May 4, 2018) Four more women accuse Kelly of abuse
The allegations included abusive relationships, brainwashing, forced sex, infection and pressure to have abortions.
(May 10, 2018) Spotify removes Kelly's music from editorial playlists
The streaming service announced that it would remove all of Kelly's music from its editorial playlists. Apple Music and Pandora followed suit. Kelly's music is still on the platforms.
(May 23, 2018) Kelly responds to #MuteRKelly: 'It's too late'
Video from a private event depicts Kelly apparently describing attempts to suppress his music as "too late".
In the end, John Legend and US R&B artist Stephanie “Sparkle” Edwards were the only musicians interviewed in the documentary series. hampton described Legend as a “hero” for speaking out against Kelly. Legend responded on Twitter: “To everyone telling me how courageous I am for appearing in the doc, it didn’t feel risky at all. I believe these women.”
He added: “These survivors deserved to be lifted up and heard. I hope it gets them closer to some kind of justice.”
On Twitter, hampton said she hoped “the absence of celebrities really isn’t the takeaway today. Even if they’d said yes, the non-celebrities would’ve been featured more than them.” More than 50 people are interviewed in the documentary, including Kelly’s ex-wife, Andrea Kelly, who has accused him of numerous incidents of domestic violence, ex-girlfriend Kitti Jones, who has accused Kelly of physical and mental abuse, and Time’s Up founder Tarana Burke.
In early December, the New York City premiere of the series was cancelled after an anonymous shooting threat was made to the venue. Andrea Kelly told Rolling Stone that she believes Kelly “had this shut down”. Kelly’s legal representatives had threatened to sue the US channel Lifetime if it aired the series, claiming that the documentary is littered with false allegations and that its subjects are defaming Kelly for personal gain.
The first two episodes of the six-part series were shown on Lifetime on 3 January, and focus on the beginning of Kelly’s career, prior to the emergence of a 2002 sex tape that would lead to his trial and acquittal.
The first episode details Kelly’s relationship with the late R&B singer Aaliyah, including allegations that Kelly, then 27, was seen having sex with the teenager on a tour bus, and that forged paperwork led to their illegal marriage when she was 15. Kelly’s former tour manager and personal assistant also alleges that Kelly impregnated the young singer, who died in a plane crash in 2001. He denied inappropriate behaviour with her.
Two women claimed that Kelly was sexually interested in girls as young as 14. Sparkle recalled Kelly grooming her niece when she was 12. Singer Jovante Cunningham claimed that Kelly made teenage girls perform sexual acts in public, and had sex with a teenage girl in the studio with other people present. Lizzette Martinez, who claimed Kelly impregnated her while she was in high school, said that Kelly told her to “perform sexual acts while his friends were in the back seat”.
Andrea Kelly claimed that her ex-husband involved her in an elaborate wedding ceremony without her prior knowledge. She described this as among the first times she realised he was “controlling”.
In 2000, Chicago Sun Times reporter Jim DeRogatis was the first journalist to report on allegations that Kelly had sex with teenage girls. In 2002, Kelly was indicted on 14 counts of child pornography. He was cleared on all counts in 2008. It would take a decade – during which Kelly enjoyed chart success, cult acclaim for his spoof series Trapped in the Closet, and tastemaker support – for claims of Kelly’s sexual impropriety to find public traction. In July 2017, DeRogatis reported for BuzzFeed that Kelly was holding women in a “sex cult”, a story denied by Kelly that led to more women accusing him of sexual and physical abuse, and the decline of his reputation.
Kelly has consistently denied the allegations against him, including those of inappropriate behaviour with minors, and described as “too late” the #MuteRKelly campaign, which urges record labels, promoters and other parties with financial interests in Kelly to sever their ties with him. In July 2018, he released a 19-minute song, I Admit, in which he denied the allegations but “admitted” to sleeping with fans and having parents “push” their daughters on him “to get paid”. He also reiterated claims that he was sexually abused by a family member as a child.
Lifetime will show the remaining four episodes of Surviving R Kelly on 4 and 5 January.
