Lifetime’s follow-up to the acclaimed docuseries “Surviving R. Kelly” led to a 40% increase in calls to RAINN’s national sexual assault hotline, according to the anti-sexual violence organization.
“The Friday and Saturday after ‘Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning’ aired, RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline experienced a 40% increase in calls,” said RAINN Press Secretary Erinn Robinson. “We are proud to have partnered with Lifetime on this project and are encouraged that our work with the media continues to empower survivors of sexual violence to seek the help that they need to heal.”
The new docuseries aired over three nights between Jan. 2-4 on Lifetime, and featured interviews with new accusers, legal experts, and supporters the R&B singer, who is currently facing federal and state sex assault charges in two different cities.
“We are so thankful for our partnership with RAINN as part of our Stop Violence Against Women Initiative and to see the jump in calls during the airings of Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning,” said Brie Miranda Bryant, senior vice president of unscripted programing at Lifetime. “It’s amazing to know the documentary has encouraged important and necessary conversations to happen and we are extremely proud of our survivors for their courage, who by standing up for themselves, stand for so much more.”
The initial “Surviving R. Kelly” series, which aired in January 2019, was credited with helping make the accusations against Kelly more public, eventually leading to his arrest back in July.