Lifetime released a trailer and announced the premiere date for Surviving R. Kelly: The Final Chapter. The latest episode in the Survive R Kelly saga airs January 2 and 3 on Lifetime starting at 8 p.m. ET. The two-episode event will feature the court cases that followed the 2019 charges brought against the disgraced musician. The series’ official synopsis reads: “While millions have read the headlines, the final chapter connects the shocking fine print with unspeakable details. never shared with the public, culminating in the verdict heard around the world.”
Allegations of misconduct have plagued R. Kelly’s life since the 1990s, when a 27-year-old Kelly illegally married singer Aaliyah when she was just 15. Survive R Kelly aired in 2019 and was scathing for the musician, highlighting his life and allegations of wrongdoing while also giving a voice to many of the R&B singer’s victims. On February 22, 2019, Kelly was charged with ten counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse for the abuse of four women, three of whom were minors, from 1998 to 2010. Surviving R. Kelly: The Impact was released later that same year.
In June, Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to sex trafficking and racketeering charges. Kelly faces an additional sentence in February. In September, a federal jury found him guilty of six counts of sexual exploitation and seducing a minor. Kelly is incarcerated at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago.
The two-episode event will share trial details
During the first episode of Surviving R. Kelly: The Final Chapter, viewers will learn details about Azriel Clary’s testimony. Clary is Kelly’s ex-girlfriend and was only 17 when she moved in with the musician. Clary previously defended the R&B singer, but revealed on the stand that she was instructed by Kelly to lie during an interview with Gayle King. Clary’s family speak out during the first episode of the series, describing their experiences with Kelly’s loyal fanbase. Legal experts are also weighing in to resolve Kelly’s racketeering allegations. For the first time, the public also learns about the possibility of a male victim.
The first episode also covers an incident that happened during the screening of Survive R Kelly, as someone made gun threats. It was later revealed that Kelly’s former manager Donell Russell was responsible for the threats.
Lifetime will air the two-part special on January 2 and 3 starting at 8 p.m. ET. Surviving R. Kelly: The Final Chapter is executive produced by Joel Karsberg of Kreativ Inc., with Bunim Murray Productions, Tamra Simmons, Jesse Daniels, Maria Pepin and Brie Miranda Bryant of Lifetime.