"Surviving R. Kelly: The Impact" Host Explains Why The Doc Is Important

BY Erika Marie 5.1K Views
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R. Kelly
Meanwhile, the Feds are reportedly searching for more evidence against the singer.

Nearly 26 million people have watched the Lifetime network's harrowing documentary Surviving R. Kelly, and Saturday evening they return with Survivng R. Kelly: The Impact hosted by famed reporter Soledad O'Brien. TMZ caught up with O'Brien as she left Los Angeles International Airport and spoke with her about the importance of the documentary and why, after all of this time, people tuned in to listen to the stories of alleged victims.

"I think that people understand that people who have for many years, had very valid claims, suddenly understand that there are some real stories and there's a lot of pain that people haven't explored," she said. "One of the reasons for the success of that documentary is that people listened to these women for the first time."

When asked if she thought there would be accusers in the future who would exploit the media by making allegations via a docuseries, O'Brien replied, "Stories have been around forever and I think story-telling is the way we bring people information. In this case, there were so many connections between people who were not previously connected. I don't know, I've spent 30 years reporting and telling stories. I never think there's a problem in highlighting stories of people whose stories are undertold."

The paparazzo then asked if Kelly would "slip through the cracks" once again. "I think that's a question for the criminal justice system," O'Brien said. "Right? At the end of the day documentaries, stories, news reports only do so much. At the end of the day, this is where the criminal justice system has to weigh all the evidence and make a decision."

Meanwhile, TMZ also reports that federal investigators are continuing to probe into claims that Kelly is involved in human trafficking. The publication states that the task force is trying to locate more sex tapes that are linked to the singer. There have been rumors of other existing tapes that show Kelly allegedly with minors since his 2008 case, but none have surfaced.

There are two ongoing investigations into Kelly going on in New York, and a third in Illinois. He's being looked into for sex trafficking, tax evasion and obstruction of justice. For the obstruction charge, prosecutors believe that back in 2008 he pressured or maybe even paid off a witness to keep them from testifying or speaking out publicly. Kelly's attorney Steve Greenberg said, "The purpose of this, as with all investigations, is to see if there was or was not wrongdoing. It certainly does not mean there was."


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.