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Courtesy of LifetimeThe broadcast of the three-part Surviving R. Kelly, Part II: The Reckoning docuseries over the weekend on Lifetime led to a 40% increase in calls to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network sexual assault hotline, 800-656-4673.
“We are proud to have partnered with Lifetime on this project and are encouraged that our work with the media continues to empower survivors of sexual violence to seek the help that they need to heal,” RAINN press secretary Erinn Robinson says to Variety in a statement.
“We are so thankful for our partnership with RAINN as part of our Stop Violence Against Women Initiative and to see the jump in calls during the airings of Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning,” says Lifetime SVP Brie Miranda Bryant. “It’s amazing to know the documentary has encouraged important and necessary conversations to happen and we are extremely proud of our survivors for their courage, who by standing up for themselves, stand for so much more.”
In Surviving R. Kelly, which aired in January 2019 and was nominated for an Emmy, 50 accusers and participants wanted to be involved. That number grew to more than 70 for Part II. Seven survivors went on the record in the first series, while 10 speak in Part II.
The new series follows the several court cases against Kelly, and also examines how survivors and participants in part one have coped with the backlash they’ve endured.
R. Kelly is being held in Chicago’s Metropolitan Correction Center since he was arrested July 11 after being indicted on numerous alleged sexual assault crimes. He faces court cases in Illinois, New York and Minnesota, including charges for racketeering, conspiracy, bribery, prostitution and soliciting a minor.
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