R. Kelly is a very well know person within the music industry and has many chart topping hits over the years. His sexual offences are also very well-known, so how hasn't he paid the price for this already? This documentary takes a deeper look into his actions, with survivors and those who have witnessed his behaviour.
The documentary is done in six episodes and each episode it becomes darker and more difficult to comprehend the things R. Kelly has done to women and teenage girls. The worst thing about this all is that a sex tape was found many years ago featuring a 14-year-old girl and this saw a trial but he got away with it as the girl and her father denied it was her in the video. So without an actual witness the evidence was somehow not enough to convict him. Which has meant more and more girls have suffered over the years.
Most of the now women featured met the singer when they were teenagers although most of them on this seem to be 17-19 years old. It all started in the same manner and he appeared to be a nice guy and want to look after them. But that didn't really seem to last too long and he would video the encounters as well as have girls "living" in the houses. I say "living" as they were pretty much locked in a room and not allowed to leave, even being starved. It all seems to be so horrific and even scarier that he has been allowed to get away with this for so long.
Parents of different girls had tried for years to get their daughters back but because of their ages they were seen to be consenting. It really is a difficult watch as you cannot help but think why and how over and over again. People had been speaking out against him but nothing actually done about it. Considering I have been a fan over his music over the years it is rather haunting to see when certain songs were released in the timeline of the abuse claims and trial against the sex tape.
This hard-hitting documentary should really help push more action taken from the music industry. Especially when John Legend a very high-profile musician himself is featured in the documentary. Radio stations have banned his music, Spotify have taken the songs out of playlists (although not removed them completely) but should he get away with the different abuse he has put so many women through?
I still feel the 14-year-old in the sex tape is the most shocking thing he has managed to get away with, how was that even possible? A very strange court case for that to happen, it just makes you wonder at times if people with money can just get away with being above the law and keep paying people off? That seems to be a standard thing in the world we live in and something celebrities seem to do and think that makes everything ok. The stories from the different women will really strike hard and you actually cannot believe what they had to put up with when they felt trapped and could not leave easily.
Thoughts?
