Lifetime is still entrenched in the R. Kelly business.
The basic cable network announced a follow-up this week to its record-breaking six-part docuseries Surviving R. Kelly. And Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist Soledad O’Brien will be the host of the two-hour special set to debut in May.
According to the network, Surviving R. Kelly: The Impact will “highlight the impact the controversial documentary has had on our culture globally, how it has elevated the conversation on sexual violence and what it means to be a survivor.”
So much has happened since the docuseries debuted in January with a viewership of 26 million. The series included the voices of 50 of the singer’s alleged victims and survivors who claimed R. Kelly sexually and physically abused them and their families.
Since then, the Grammy Award-winning hitmaker was released from RCA, his longtime recording label, following the protest of # MuteRKelly activists.
More women also came forward with allegations of abuse leading the Cook County attorney’s office to indict the “Ignition” crooner on 10 felony counts of aggravated sexual assault, ultimately leading to Kelly’s arrest.
In addition, calls to sexual assault hotlines reportedly increased by 35%.
Surviving R. Kelly has been named the recipient of the 2019 LA Press Club President’s Award for Impact on Media. Producer dream hampton, who penned the cover story for Essence’s May 2019 issue on Sean “Diddy” Combs, was recently named as one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People.
The new special features footage from the docuseries, interviews with journalists, legal experts, non-profit organizations and psychologists to discuss the ongoing story surrounding R. Kelly. It will also include an in-depth look at his now infamous interview with CBS This Morning host Gayle King and the women who are still standing by his side.
Surviving R Kelly: The Impact will premiere May 4 at 10 p.m . on Lifetime.