The premiere for Lifetime’s new docuseries Surviving R. Kelly was reportedly evacuated in New York City on Tuesday night (Dec. 4), after a gun threat was reported at the venue, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The premiere reportedly went down at the NeuHouse Madison Square, and reportedly invited celebrity guests including #MeToo founder Tarana Burke, Jamilah Lemieux, Angela Yee, and R. Kelly’s abuse accusers Kitti Jones, Jerhonda Pace, Lisa Van Allen, Asante McGee and Lizzette Martinez. All of the guests were asked to leave the venue following the threat.
“There was a called-in gun threat, so as a precaution we evacuated,” a Lifetime representative told The Hollywood Reporter.
As previously reported, the forthcoming docuseries was set to address R. Kelly’s alleged abuse against young, black women. The R&B crooner has been accused of trapping young women in his homes in Chicago and Atlanta and forcing them to perform sexual acts on him and others. Despite the reports – which were first brought forth by BuzzFeed in 2017 – he has adamantly denied the claims and maintained his innocence.
The New York Police Department could not confirm the incident. But Twitter users shares images of the scene. This story is still developing. Checkout footage from the reported incident below.
Surviving R. Kelly premieres on Lifetime on Jan. 4.
So…Y’ALL ARE NOT GOING TO BELIEVE THIS!
Tonight was a private screening of the @lifetimetv documentary #survivingRkelly where his survivors, parents of survivors, and folks featured in the doc were gathered and a BOMB THREAT was called in and the event shut down. #muteRkelly— Tarana (@TaranaBurke) December 5, 2018
https://twitter.com/angelayee/status/1070128108085436416
https://twitter.com/FeministaJones/status/1070127689439289344
— ROYALE SOCIALITE (@ReinaaRoyale) December 5, 2018
They called in a…fucking BOMB THREAT to the #SurvivingRKelly premiere tonight!!!! ???? https://t.co/E7ku5zjjm2
— The Teyonah Parris Advocacy Account (@nativeone) December 5, 2018
They canceled the event, lol Kels wants all the smoke. I have no doubt that he has displayed MAGGOT behavior, but chasing clout via #SurvivingRKelly isn’t the solution. Y’all going from being his whores, to being Lifetime’s whores…
— B.T. Israel (@BrassManX) December 5, 2018