‘Surviving R. Kelly’: Powerful Docuseries Is a Reckoning for the Singer — And Us
Lifetime’s harrowing six-part docuseries paints a textbook picture of an abuser and gives a voice to survivors who’ve long been silenced
By Shani Saxon
Monsters can be tricky. Sure, we know they’re scary and cruel and that we should avoid them at all costs. But what do we do when the most terrifying ones are wearing masks? What about the connivers who drip with charm, are slick with their words and know exactly how to make us confuse their pain with love? And what if, God forbid, the monster just happens to be rich and powerful?
Many of the women featured in Surviving R. Kelly — Lifetime’s gut-wrenching, six-part documentary series, premiering tonight, that explores the sexual abuse allegations piling up around the disgraced R&B singer — are grappling with those very questions. Their monster is Robert Kelly, the singer-songwriter who rose to superstardom in 1993 with the release of his solo debut, 12 Play. Smash songs like “Bump n’ Grind,” “Your Body’s Calling” and “Sex Me” merged hip-hop’s don’t-give-a-fuck attitude with seductive R&B, while feel-good power ballads like “I Believe I Can Fly” tapped earnest gospel sensibilities.
