(Soledad O’Brien Courtesy)
Veteran journalist Soledad O’Brien is set to follow up Lifetime’s “Surviving R. Kelly” with a two-hour special that will examine the global impact of the documentary.
Titled “Surviving R. Kelly: The Impact,” the special will examine the hitmaker’s explosive interview with Gayle King and feature interviews with journalists, legal experts, and psychologists, Complex reports.
Following the release of “Surviving R. Kelly,” calls to sexual assault hotlines reportedly increased by 35%, and the singer’s record label dropped him following relentless protests from the #MuteRKelly movement. Nearly two months after the doc aired, Kelly was indicted in Chicago on 10 felony counts of aggravated sexual assault involving women he allegedly victimized over a decade ago. He recently also lost a civil suit filed by one victim in the criminal case.
“In the days following the debut of ‘Surviving R. Kelly’ on Lifetime, vital conversations erupted throughout the country,” Lifetime states in a release. “Calls to sexual assault hotlines increased by 35%, and #MuteRKelly activists were galvanized to protest for R. Kelly’s record label to drop him. Public outcry ensured the survivors would not be ignored and more women came forward with allegations of abuse.”
“Surviving R. Kelly: The Impact” will focus on the profound effect the series “has had on our culture globally, how it has elevated the conversation on sexual violence and what it means to be a survivor,” according to Lifetime.
In June, the network and the “Surviving R. Kelly” creators will receive the 2019 Los Angeles Press Club President’s Award for Impact on Media, according to the New York Daily News.
“The ‘Surviving R. Kelly’ team has done what every journalist aspires to do: tell a compelling story that prompts change and that also speaks to a broader issue which needs to be addressed,” Press Club President Chris Palmeri said of the award. “Their documentary is the very definition of work we want to recognize.”
O’Brien will host “Surviving R. Kelly: The Impact” on Saturday, May 4 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
