The final chapter of “Surviving R. Kelly” is now available.
The Surviving R. Kelly series had a stranglehold on pop culture when it originally aired on Lifetime. We were initially introduced to young ladies like Joycelyn Savage, Kelly’s alleged “girlfriend,” and her parents, who were anxiously looking for her. Several additional women who were accused victims of Kelly’s alleged sex assaults also recounted their stories, further cementing Kelly’s legacy.
Variety spoke with executive producer Jesse Daniels about the upcoming third and final instalment of the docuseries. He has been a part of the project since its inception, and while Kelly will endure further challenges, Daniels believes Part III will be the final one.
“This is it for us,” Daniels added. “Whatever else R. Kelly faces is a tiny footnote in comparison to the federal trials in New York and Illinois. I’m speaking to our survivors and their families today, and many of them are effectively attempting to turn the page on their own life.”
“This was a very trying period for them. Their trial experience was quite stressful. They, like us, are eager to move on to the next chapter.”
Daniels also revealed that the last chapter will go into detail about Kelly’s charges of grooming young males. This was brought up during his trial in August 2022.
“We intended to offer a real 360-degree view at what was unfolding every day of the trial, and that certainly was a huge part of the trial where there were male victims who testified. It was something we had undoubtedly heard before, but not in the context of this trial. We felt responsible to tell the entire story of the trial in as much detail as we could.”
An alleged Jane Doe victim of Kelly testified during his trial that she was compelled to have sex with a young guy the singer was reported to have groomed. Kelly has always rejected all claims of inappropriate sexual behaviour.
