According to the Hollywood Reporter, Lifetime has ordered a two-hour special, Surviving R. Kelly: The Impact, to delve even deeper into the effects of dream hampton’s groundbreaking reporting.
The special, hosted by Soledad O’Brien, will examine how the original docuseries took the industry by storm and advanced the national conversation on surviving sexual violence. According to Deadline, sexual assault hotlines saw a 35 percent increase in call volume shortly after the show aired. Over 26 million people have watched the original Surviving R. Kelly, which received the LA Press Club President’s Award for Impact on Media.
Additional commentary for the special will come from various journalists, representatives of nonprofit groups, psychologists, and legal experts, and there will be an “in-depth look” at Kelly’s interview with Gayle King seen round the world:
Since Surviving R. Kelly aired, the singer has been indicted on 10 felony counts of aggravated sexual abuse. Four of the accusers were minors at the time of the alleged abuse. Kelly’s longtime record label RCA also officially ended their relationship with the embattled singer in response to the outpouring of protest after the docuseries aired. Most recently, Kelly lost another sexual abuse lawsuit from an underaged accuser after he failed to appear in court. Kelly has since argued that he was “confused and overwhelmed” when he received the summons while jailed for failure to pay child support.
Surviving R. Kelly: The Impact will air May 4.
Correction: Sept. 21, 2019, 12:11 p.m. ET: This story has been edited to remove unattributed text and to add fuller sourcing.
DISCUSSION
“Confused and overwhelmed” - or trapped in the closet?