Victims tell of ‘Surviving R Kelly’
R&B singer famous for hanging around high schools was acquitted of child pornography charges in 2008
WOMEN behind allegations of sexual abuse have come forward against R Kelly in a new documentary.
Many of the accusations that have plagued his career came to light in the first two parts of a sixpart documentary which aired on Thursday night called Surviving R Kelly.
Many of the women came forward in the shocking docuseries in which friends, family, and accusers opened up about their alleged relationships with Kelly, 51, who has been accused of pursuing relationships with underage women – several of whom he allegedly met at the mall or high schools.
Kelly has long denied all of the accusations made against him.
From an early age, Kelly’s musical talent was apparent to those around him, and he enjoyed success not long after leaving high school and winning a singing contest.
Yet it was around this time Kelly allegedly began meeting girls at high schools.
Music producer Craig Williams said “I heard a lot about him hanging a lot around the high school.
“What the hell was he doing hanging around the high school?” he said.
Jovante Cunningham, a former back-up signer for Kelly, said she met the R&B artist at Kenwood High School.
She said she didn’t know how old he was at the time, nor was his age ever an issue.
With aspirations to become a professional singer, Jovante was dazzled by Kelly’s talent and started working with him in his studio.
But she admits they were naive, and claimed she first saw him perform a sexual act in the studio with one of her teenage friends.
“We were so stupid. Just so naive. The first time I witnessed a sexual act in the studio… he had one of my teenage friends in the booth with him, bent over.
“And we were all right there. I will not say with whom, but none of us were of age. None of us,” she said.
Jovante says eventually they were introduced to Aaliyah when she was 12-years-old, and said she helped transform her sweet, angelic image into something edgier.
She claims she saw Kelly allegedly having sex with a then 15-year-old Aaliyah Dana Haughton in a tour bus.
Aaliyah’s mother, Diane Houghton, has since disputed Jovante’s claims.
Kelly’s former tour manager and personal assistant, Demetrius Smith, explained the singer initially denied having any sort of romantic relationship with Aaliyah.
That changed when Kelly admitted he believed Aaliyah had become pregnant.
“We got Aaliyah in trouble,” Demetrius recalled Kelly saying.
Demetrius confessed to forging documents in order for Aaliyah to marry 27-year-old Kelly, as she was still underage at the time. The documents stated the then 15-yearold Aaliyah was 18.
“I’m not proud of that (day),” he said. “I had papers forged for them. Aaliyah was underage. We got the marriage licence, we were at a hotel in Maywood, Illinois.
“It was just a quick little ceremony, nothing elaborate.
“Aaliyah didn’t have a white dress, Robert didn’t have on a tux, just everyday wear. Robert said ‘I do’. Him and Aaliyah.”
“Aaliyah looked worried, scared,” he said. “I wanted so much to grab Aaliyah and talk to her. She gave me a look like she wanted me to talk to her…
I knew that it had
changed the course of everything.”
The marriage was annulled a short time later, with Kelly publicly maintaining that the wedding never happened.
Aaliyah and eight others were killed in a plane crash in the Bahamas in 2001 after filming the music video for her single Rock the Boat.
One of the women who allegedly had a relationship with Kelly, Lizzette Martinez, also spoke during the show.
Lizzette claims she met Kelly at the mall when she was 17, and they soon began a relationship she described as controlling.
“He told me to perform sexual acts while his friends were in the back seat… it was like he owned me,” she said.
Eventually she claimed to have contracted mononucleosis (kissing disease) from him, and says Kelly sent her mother a check for $1000 (R14 000).
Kelly’s ex-wife, Andrea Lee, also spoke about their allegedly turbulent relationship.
Like Lizzette, Andrea says Kelly was controlling to her as well, and said she believed he has a “god complex”.
Lisa Van says she met R Kelly when she was 17 on the set of his music video, and claims their sexual relationship began quickly.
She claims as their relationship progressed he introduced another teenager into their sex life, and filmed their alleged encounters.
Singer Sparkle also spoke about working with Kelly, and says he helped her release her debut album.
She introduced Kelly to her 14-year-old niece, who she described as a talented rapper. But she could not hold back her emotions after learning Kelly had allegedly begun a sexual relationship with her niece.
The documentary alluded her niece was the same girl Lisa allegedly filmed the sexual encounters with.
Kelly was acquitted of child pornography charges in Chicago in 2008, The Guardian reported.