Accusations of sexual assault against R. Kelly remained under the radar until the critically acclaimed docuseries Surviving R. Kelly brought to light an array of stories from the women who faced abuse as well as those who idly supported the singer’s behavior. With the tides changing, Lifetime has highlighted the aftermath in the follow-up special, Surviving R. Kelly: The Impact.
Hosted by veteran journalist Soledad O’Brien, Deadline reports the two-hour special will showcase how the documentary and the stories of the survivors have shifted conversations of sexual violence as it pertains to black women. Soledad will reportedly speak to journalists, legal experts as well as the women who have continued to support the singer.
Since the release of the docuseries, the singer parted ways with his record label and is now facing jail time for unpaid child support as well as counts of aggravated sexual assault. He’s also faced more accusations of the sexual assault with unearthed videotapes brought to light by prosecutor Michael Avenatti.
The docuseries was created by writer and author dream hampton, who was named one of TIME Magazine’s Most Influential People of 2019.
Surviving R. Kelly: The Impact will premiere Saturday, May 4 at 10 PM ET/PT on Lifetime.
Watch the promo below.