Surviving R Kelly: Everything you need to know about the show and how to watch it

Want to find out everything there is to know about Surviving R Kelly? You've come to the right place...

What is Surviving R Kelly?

Surviving R Kelly is a six-part docu-series about the sexual misconduct allegations against R&B singer R Kelly. The official synopsis for Surviving R Kelly reads: “Women emerge from the shadows and unite their voices to share their stories.”

The docu-series includes over 50 interviews with women who have alleged that R Kelly sexually and emotionally abused them, as well as stories from parents, ex-friends, family members and musicians.

Some of the people who appear in Surviving R Kelly include his ex-girlfriend Kitti Jones, ex-wife Andrea Kelly, musicians John Legend and Sparkle, and talk show host Wendy Williams.

Kelly denies all of the claims against him. Before Surviving R Kelly was broadcaster, Kelly's lawyer issued a statement threatening to take legal action against the network.

Has R. Kelly given any interview about Surviving R Kelly?

R Kelly has now spoken out about the allegations in his first interview about the series. Speaking to Gayle King on CBS This Morning in an interview that aired on 5th March 2019, he profusely denied the allegations.

He exclaimed, "I didn't do this stuff. This is not me," and added that he is "fighting for my life". He went on to say, "They're going back to the past and they're trying to add all of this stuff now to that, to make all of the stuff that's going on now feel real to people."

He became emotional during the interview, tearfully saying, "How stupid would it be for R Kelly, with all I've been through to hold somebody? How stupid would I be to do that? Use your common sense," he said as he raised his voice and spoke directly into the camera.

"Forget the blogs, forget how you feel about me. Hate me if you want to; love me if you want. But just use your common sense. How stupid would it be for me with my crazy past and what I've been through [to say], 'Oh right now, I just think I need to be a monster and hold girls against their will and chain them up in my basement? Quit playing."

Where can I watch Surviving R Kelly in the UK? Is Surviving R Kelly on Netflix?

Unfortunately, Surviving R Kelly isn't yet available in the UK, but don't fret, it will soon premier on Crime + Investigation on February 5, 2019. The episodes will air on Tuesdays at 10pm. The docu-series will not be shown on Netflix, sorry!

If you literally can't wait until the 5th February, then you can find out more about the sexual misconduct allegations against R Kelly by watching the BBC Three documentary R Kelly: Sex, Girls and Videotapes. This is available on BBC iPlayer.

Who is R Kelly?

R Kelly, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly is an American singer, song-writer and music producer. He was born on 8 January 1967, which currently makes him 52 years old. He rose to stardom after topping the charts with songs like Ignition and I Believe I Can Fly.

Since the 1990s, he's been the subject of numerous allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct. These allegations often include underage girls.

Has R Kelly been charged? Is R Kelly in prison?

In 2002, he was indicted on 21 counts of child pornography, but in 2008 he was acquitted of all charges. The Chicago jury found him not guilty of 14 out of 14 counts of child pornography.

In January 2003, he was arrested after police searched his home and recovered 12 images of an alleged underage girl, but shortly after in March 2004, the charges against him were dropped because of a lack of probable cause for the search warrants.

SEE: Celeb mugshots - stars you never knew were arrested. Then scroll down for more Surviving R Kelly info...

What is 'Mute R Kelly'? #MuteRKelly

According to the Mute R Kelly official website, "MuteRKelly is a nationwide, grassroots movement to end the career of R&B singer and sexual abuser of young black women, R Kelly."

The website reads, "In July of 2017, the resurgence of new sexual abuse allegations against R. Kelly prompted Atlanta Arts Administrator, Oronike Odeleye to take action and start a petition to get R. Kelly’s music off of Atlanta airwaves.

"Odeleye’s petition caught the eye of Kenyette Barnes, a seasoned social justice activist who herself is a survivor of child pornography. The two met for coffee and have been sisters in this fight ever since."

What happened between R Kelly and Aaliyah? When did R Kelly and Aaliyah get married?

In 1991, R Kelly, who was then 24 years of age, met 12-year-old Aaliyah Dana Haughton, famously known as Aaliyah. The pair were introduced by Aaliyah's uncle Barry Hankerson, who was R Kelly's manager at the time.

In 1994, Kelly produced the Aaliyah album, Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number. But suspicions were already growing in the press about how close Kelly and Aaliyah were. After the success of her album release in 1994, Aaliyah and Kelly made a joint appearance on the BET show Video Soul.

At the time, Aaliyah was 15 and Kelly was 27. The pair appeared in matching outfits, and Aaliyah confirmed that the pair were "just very close. [He's] my best friend." You can watch that interview below:

As documented in the series, R Kelly and Aaliyah sparked up a relationship, before he married her using a false birth certificate that claimed that Aaliyah - who was 15 years old at the time - was 18. The wedding is reported to have taken place on August 31, 1994.

In the first episode of the docu-series, R Kelly's former personal assistant and tour manager Demetrius Smith claimed to witnessed their wedding. In the episode, he says "I’m not proud of that [day]. I had papers forged for them. Aaliyah was underage. We got the marriage license, we were at a hotel in Maywood, Illinois.

"It was just a quick little ceremony, nothing elaborate. Aaliyah didn’t have a white dress, Robert didn’t have on a tux, just everyday wear. Robert said ‘I do.'"

He added, "Aaliyah looked worried, scared. She was worried and scared. I wanted so much to grab Aaliyah and talk to her. She gave me a look like she wanted me to talk to her. ... I knew that it had changed the course of everything."

Smith also revealed that Robert has once called him and said "'Man we got Aaliyah in trouble. I think she’s pregnant.'"

A former backup singer for Kelly called Jovante Cunningham claimed in the docu-series to have seen Kelly having sex with Aaliyah on a tour bus.

In the docu-series she recalls: "We were out on the road with Aaliyah. On a tour bus, there really aren't many confined spaces. When you get on the bus there are bunks and so these bunks have little curtains you can pull at night if you don’t want anybody to see you sleeping.

"So it just so happened we were all laying in our bunks and the curtains are open, everybody's communicating, laughing. When the [room] door flew open on the bus. Robert (Kelly) was having sex with Aaliyah."

But Aaliyah's mum, Diane Houghton, has slammed Cunningham's claims. You can read her statement, which was posted by Aaliyah's official Twitter account, below:

The statement reads, "The woman and so-called back up singer in the forthcoming ‘Surviving...’ documentary that describes seeing, meeting or ever breathing the same air as my daughter, Aaliyah, is lying and is a liar. My husband and I were always on tour with her and at interviews and every place she went throughout her entire career. Whoever this woman is, I have never seen her before anywhere on planet earth, until now.

"These lies and fabrications cannot be tolerated and allowed to be spewed from the forked tongues of saboteurs of Aaliyah’s legacy. My daughter only wanted to realize her dream of sharing her talent with the world, and give her all performing on stage and in front of the camera for the fans she adored so much. She realized that dream, thanks to those true fans who still love and support her legacy unconditionally to this day.

"Shame on all those involved in this project who thought it kosher to drag Aaliyah's name into a situation that has nothing to do with her today. Once again, this will not be tolerated."

Aaliyah was tragically killed in a plane crash in 2001.

Who is Bruce Kelly? Why is R Kelly's brother in jail?

Bruce Kelly is R Kelly's brother who appeared in Surviving R Kelly and gave an interview from prison. He is currently serving time in jail for numerous offences including burglary, probation violation and drug possession, according to his Chicago arrest records.

Speaking in the docu-series, Bruce Kelly appeared to defend his brother's alleged sexual history with underage girls. He said, "you have people who have fantasies about different things.”

He continued: “I like older women, go figure, you know. But that’s just a preference. Everyone has preferences. So what is the big deal? What is the big issue with my brother?"

Who is R Kelly's brother Casey Kelly?

R Kelly's brother Casey Kelly also appeared on the Surviving R Kelly docu-series, and revealed that R Kelly's legal team had tried to accuse him of engaging in illegal sex with an underage girl, to draw attention away from the accusations that R Kelly could be the person who committed the crime.

Who is R Kelly's ex-wife Andrea Kelly?

R Kelly married his backup dancer Andrea Kelly in 1996, and the pair stayed married until 2009. She filed for divorce in 2006, but it wasn't finalised until 2009. Together, the pair have three children.

Andrea Kelly appears in the Surviving R Kelly docu-series and reveals that she came close to suicide during her difficult marriage with Kelly.

Who is Sparkle in the R Kelly documentary?

Sparkle, whose real name is Stephanie Edwards, is a singer who collaborated with R Kelly in 1998, on a song called Be Careful. In the docu-series, Sparkle spoke on the Surviving R Kelly documentary, and alleged that R Kelly was involved in a videotape that showed him engaging in sexual acts with her underage niece.

What has John Legend said about R Kelly?

Singer John Legend appeared on the Surviving R Kelly documentary and called out R Kelly for the accusations against him. After receiving support from people for being "courageous" for appearing on the docu-series, he tweeted: "To everyone telling me how courageous I am for appearing in the doc, it didn't feel risky at all. I believe these women and don't give a fuck about protecting a serial child rapist. Easy decision."

What has Cara Delevingne said about R Kelly?

On January 10, 2019, model Cara Delevingne uploaded an Instagram post slating R Kelly and supporting John Legend, Lady Gaga and Jada Pinkett Smith for "continuing the conversation" around the accusations.

The full post reads: "I finished the Surviving R Kelly documentary last night and I am so shocked and outraged at how long this has gone on. My heart goes out to all the victims of his emotional and physical abuse and their families.

"This man is a predator that feeds of power and in my opinion is far worse than Harvey Weinstein and needs to be held accountable. I am not trying to compare the two, my point is, Harvey is being investigated and R Kelly is not. We have ourselves to blame in this situation, I knew of the allegations but failed to try and understand the severity of the situation.

"I still continued to listen to his music. Stop separating art from the artist, just because he sings like an angel, doesn’t mean he is one. I still want to applaud @johnlegend @keke @vincestaples @chancetherapper @jadapinkettsmith @ladygaga for continuing the conversation. I really hope that more musicians stand up against this monster #MuteRKelly #MeToo #blackgirlslivesmatter"

It was revealed that after this post, Cara Delevingne lost around 100,000 Instagram followers who did not agree with her opinion.

What has Lady Gaga said about R Kelly?

On 10 January, 2019, Lady Gaga tweeted about having previously collaborated with R Kelly on the song Do What U Want:

The full tweet reads, "I stand behind these women 1000%, believe them, know they are suffering and in pain, and feel strongly that their voices should be heard and taken seriously. As a victim of sexual assault myself, I made both the song and the video at a dark time in my life.

"My intention was to create something extremely defiant and provocative because I was angry and still hadn't processed the trauma that had occurred in my own life. The song is called Do What U Want (With My Body), I think it's clear how explicitly twisted my thinking was at the time.

"If I could go back and have a talk with my younger self I'd tell her to go through the therapy I have since then, so that I could understand the confused post-traumatic state that I was in - or if therapy was not available to me or anyone in my situation - to seek help, and speak as openly and honestly as possible about what we've been through. I'm sorry, both my for my poor judgement when I was young, and for not speaking out sooner"

Christina Aguilera, who starred on the track alongside Gaga and Kelly, then shared an Instagram post about supporting Gaga and all survivors of domestic abuse:

What did French Montana say about R Kelly?

During an interview with TMZ, French Montana commented "let somebody enjoy their legacy. Whatever happened, happened, man.”

When asked by TMZ if the public should stop listening to Kelly’s music in light of the sexual abuse allegations, Montana said: "They [people] don't let nobody have their legendary moments."

After coming under fire for his comment, French Montana then posted this tweet, which clarifies that his "heart is with the victims":

The full tweet reads: "Let me be clear. My heart is with the victims. I never thought the people I looked up to as a kid, who sang and danced and gave me hope to become a superstar would become drug addicts, child molestors and rapists. I am hoping we as a culture create better leaders. We need them."

What did Jada Pinkett Smith say about R Kelly?

Jada Pinkett Smith is another celebrity who has been vocal about her dislike of R Kelly, after the sexual misconduct claims. A week ago, she shared a video post to Instagram which revealed that she was shocked that Kelly's music sales have "spiked" since the release of the docu-series:

The full post read: "How is it that R Kelly's music sales have spiked (substantially) since the release of the docuseries Surviving R Kelly? I need some help in understanding. What am I missing???"

What other celebrities have spoken out against R Kelly?

Jameela Jamil shared a tweet asking Spotify why his music was still being streamed on their platform:

Singer Neyo also lent his support on Instagram, saying: “There is NO excuse. Music is important. It really is. But it’s not more important than protecting our children, protecting our little girls. PERIOD.”

What did R Kelly's daughter say about him?

R Kelly's daughter Buku Abi, whose real name is Joann Kelly, recently posted on Instagram saying she was "devastated" by accusations that have been brought to light by the documentary Surviving R Kelly.

On Instagram stories, she said, "It has been very difficult to process it all. Let alone gather all the right words to express everything I feel.

"The same monster you are all confronting me about is my father. I am well aware of who and what he is. I grew up in that house. My choice to not speak on him and what he does is for my peace of mind. My emotional state. And for my healing."

She added, "this past year for my family has been very difficult, all the love and support you all continue to show is why we keep going."

Which celebrities turned down a chance to be in Surviving R Kelly?

Dream Hampton, the filmmaker who produced the six-part documentary, said in an interview with Detroit Free Press that "it was incredibly difficult to get people who had collaborated (artistically) with Kelly to come forward. We asked Lady Gaga. We asked Erykah Badu. We asked Celine Dion. We asked Jay-Z. We asked Dave Chappelle. [They're] people who have been critical of him."

John Legend was the only globally well-known artist who appeared in the docu-series.

What is R Kelly's net worth?

According to American news outlet Heavy, R Kelly's current net worth stands at $1Million. The docu-series heavily claims that the R&B singer has settled these many of the sexual abuse allegations against him out of court, paying a lot of money to make the claims disappear.

What is R Kelly's Instagram and has he addressed the docu-series on his social media?

R Kelly does have Instagram, it's @rkelly. He hasn't posted on there since January 1st, and hasn't addressed the docu-series on his Instagram.