Lifetime’s damning docuseries Surviving R. Kelly resulted in immediate repercussions upon its airing earlier this year. After decades of rumored sexual abuse allegations, the six-part program led to the swift fall of R. Kelly; not only was the R&B singer frozen out of the music industry with the #MuteRKelly movement, but he was also finally subjected to widespread criminal investigations. Currently, Kelly is facing numerous federal indictments and state charges.
Kelly’s day of reckoning is far from over, however. Lifetime will soon broadcast a follow-up series aptly titled Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning. Scheduled to air January 3rd, the program’s first trailer has been revealed today and offers new details on what viewers can expect, as The Hollywood Reporter points out.
The forthcoming series will be six hours in length altogether, with two-hour blocks running for three consecutive nights. As with the original Surviving R. Kelly installment, each evening’s showing will feature interviews with new survivors, allies, and activists. Among the more recognizable faces from the entertainment industry: Damon Dash, Beyoncé’s father Mathew Knowles, and W. Kamau Bell. #MeToo founder Tarana Burke also appears.
Check out the trailer below, which also includes footage from Kelly’s various court appearances.
Most recently, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn charged Kelly with bribery in connection with his one-time marriage to Aaliyah. At the time of their marriage in 1994, Aaliyah was underage, just 15 years old (whereas Kelly was 27). Prosecutors claim Kelly bribed an Illinois government employee in order to obtain a fake ID for Aaliyah that listed her age as 18 years old, enabling the pair to marry.