Georgia authorities have opened a criminal investigation into R. Kelly, the R&B hitmaker who's best known for his songs "I'm a Flirt" and "I Believe I Can Fly." The police were prompted to look into more cases involving the musician's alleged sexual abuse after the cable network Lifetime aired its documentary, "Surviving R. Kelly."
According to CNN, the family of Joycelyn Savage filed a case against Kelly at the Fulton County District Attorney's Office just days after the documentary aired. Kelly is still living with the singer, but her family believes she has been brainwashed into becoming a part of his alleged sex cult and she may have also been prevented to communicate with them.
Investigators are also talking to other survivors who opened up to the television series about the abuse they've experienced in the hands of the singer. Kim Foxx, the Cook County State's Attorney in Kelly's home city in Chicago, has been urging one more victim to file and come forward.
But Kelly's attorney, Steve Greenberg, belied the allegations laid before his client because of "Surviving R. Kelly." The lawyer said that the stories aired on the show were used for the sake of filling up the entertainment of a reality TV show.
Lifetime debuted "Surviving R. Kelly" last Jan. 3 to earn strong ratings of 2.1 million viewers. The show was divided into two-hour episodes that aired for three straight nights.
The documentary aimed to look into the life and career of the multi-awarded singer, as well as the sexual abuse allegations that have hounded him for more than a decade. Dozens of women appeared in the series to testify that Kelly has two sides to him. He's the fun-loving guy who clicks with his fans, but he's also the devil in his private life, according to his ex-wife and former girlfriends.
Meanwhile, major Dallas radio stations K104 and KRNB announced they would no longer be playing Kelly's music, especially after "Surviving Kelly" hinted there could still be women locked away in the singer's mansion. Since the documentary's airing, there have been calls for radio stations to stop supporting the singer's work, but RCA Records have not yet issued an official statement amid the controversy.
Kelly, now 52, was previously married to R&B princess Aaliyah in 1994. She was then 15 years old but admitted she lied about her age on her wedding license when she sought an annulment a year later. Aaliyah died in a plane crash in 2001.
In 1996, girlfriend Tiffany Hawkins sued Kelly for emotional distress and personal injuries. She admitted in court documents that their sexual relationship started when she was just 15 years old. In 2001, Tracy Simpson sued Kelly for forcing her into an indecent relationship. She claimed she was treated as a sex object while working as an intern at Epic Records. In 2002, Kelly was slammed with two more cases of sexual abuse. One of the women claimed that her sexual relationship with Kelly resulted in her pregnancy, but she was forced to have the fetus aborted.
In 2007, there were allegations that Kelly has a sex cult composed of six women. The singer was also charged with child pornography, but the case was thrown out of court for lack of evidence. In the last decade, Kelly has dodged court cases filed against him, thus spurring victims to bring their case to the court of public opinion.
