|
 The
six-hour documentary "Surviving R. Kelly," which aired earlier
this month on U.S. cable channel Lifetime, includes allegations
from multiple women who accuse Kelly of sexual misconduct,
sometimes with minors.
Kelly, 52, the Chicago singer and record producer best known for
his hit song "I Believe I Can Fly," has for years denied
accusations of abuse, including those made in the new
documentary.
Steve Greenberg, an attorney for Kelly, said in an interview on
Friday that there was no evidence to support the accusations
contained in the documentary, calling it a "for-profit hit piece
full of falsities, full of mistakes."
The Lifetime series featured interviews with several women
making on-camera allegations of sexual, mental and physical
abuse by Kelly, as well as interviews with some of his former
managers and producers.
The latest accusations echo similar ones against the singer
dating back 25 years. After the documentary aired, Chicago's top
prosecutor called on potential victims and witnesses to come
forward.
"We cannot seek justice without you," Cook County State's
Attorney Kim Foxx said this week at a news conference.
According to media reports, prosecutors in Georgia have
contacted an attorney for an Atlanta-area couple who appeared in
the documentary and accuse Kelly of brainwashing their daughter.
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Reuters was unable independently to verify the accusations in the
documentary and could not immediately reach prosecutors for comment.
In 2008, the singer was tried and acquitted on child pornography
charges in Chicago.
"There's women saying things, which is of course their prerogative,
but there is no evidence that any of it happened," Greenberg said of
the documentary.
Kannie Yu LaPack, a spokeswoman for Lifetime, said: "The women's
stories speak for themselves."
Lifetime is part of A&E Networks, which is a joint venture between
Hearst Communications and Walt Disney Co.
The series has been a hit for the network, which said the
documentary's Jan. 3 premiere attracted 1.9 million viewers and the
network's biggest audience in two years among adults 25 to 54 and
other age groups.
After the documentary aired, singer Lady Gaga vowed to remove a duet
she recorded with Kelly from streaming services and never
collaborate with him again.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Additional reporting by Dan Whitcomb;
Editing by Bill Tarrant and Daniel Wallis)
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