R. Kelly reportedly under criminal investigation due to Lifetime's 'Surviving'

Surviving R Kelly

Following the premiere of Lifetime’s Surviving R. Kelly — which documents the sex crimes R. Kelly has been accused of for decades, from allegations of Kelly pursuing underage girls in the early ’90s through the “sex cult” that he allegedly still runs (with young women whose parents have not been able to see their children in three years) — Kelly is reportedly being criminally investigated in Georgia, where he used to own a home, according to TMZ. TMZ says that “sources connected to the case tell us the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office has opened an investigation into allegations made against the singer in ‘Surviving R. Kelly.’ We’re told the probe was launched over the past few days as a direct result of what ‘Surviving’ depicted.”

TMZ are also told that investigators have been reaching out to survivors featured in the TV series, including Asante McGee and the attorney for Joycelyn Savage’s family. Investigators have also reportedly asking for contact information from “others who have lived in Kelly’s former Atlanta home or have direct knowledge of what happened in the home” as well.

The D.A. is reportedly not commenting.

In 2017, following the initial detailed report of his “sex cult,” Fulton County, Georgia chairman John Eaves called for a criminal investigation of Kelly in light of new evidence, but police denied the existence of new evidence and a new investigation was not opened.

R. Kelly, who has denied all allegations for years, is threatening to sue Lifetime for defamation.

Meanwhile, two Dallas, TX radio stations, K104 and KRNB, publicly announced that they’d no longer be supporting Kelly’s music, Rolling Stone reports. In an on-air segment, KRNB morning show host Claudia Jordan said, “up against the background of what we know … where there were girls actually locked up in rooms and urinating in buckets and held against their will, even if they were over 18, [Kelly’s music] just has a different meaning now. I just feel like, in good conscience, we just can’t continue to support this guy.” She continued, “sadly there are a lot of people out there and what they do in their work – they are talented people – but they have demons. And I feel like as a woman that is an advocate for other women … we cannot support this man anymore. I’ve been a victim of abuse from a man, and it wasn’t as extreme as this. But reading all the comments, we have to at some point take a stance.”

K104 morning show host DeDe McGuire, speaking on a segment aired on local news, agreed. “I’m glad that radio is taking that stance,” she said. “Radio has always played a major role in the black community … that goes back to the civil rights movement. We have to take care of our own. If the courts won’t take care of [Kelly] in terms of punishing him, then we’ll stop playing his music as punishment.”

Representatives from Service Broadcasting Corporation, which owns both stations, did not reply to Rolling Stones’ request for comment.

Categories: