'He's the Puppet Master': Women Speak Out in New Surviving R. Kelly Trailer

The trailer opens by recalling Kelly’s long history of alleged abuse, starting with his 2002 arrest for filming himself performing sexual acts on a minor; charges which were later dropped after a jury found there was not enough evidence to prove the girl in the video was underage. But in 2017, all eyes were on Kelly again after Buzzfeed released a bombshell report that he was allegedly holding six women in a sex cult and posturing as a mentor for aspiring musicians before taking over their lives, down to “what they eat, how they dress, when they bathe, when they sleep, and how they engage in sexual encounters that he records.”

Surviving R. Kelly features more than 50 interviews across the spectrum of civil rights and R&B, and includes spots from the artist Sparkle, John Legend, Wendy Williams and #MeToo founder Tarana Burke.

Lifetime announced the series in May. “Some very brave black women have trusted us with their stories, their truth and their trauma,” executive producer Dream Hampton said in a statement. “They are survivors, and I’m honored to share their stories with the world.”

The six-hour doc will run in three parts starting on January 3.