Like many cases involving celebrity sexual misconduct, Kelly's abuse was nothing new.
Allegations of sexual misconduct have plagued Kelly for nearly two decades. Kelly's ex-wife, Andrea, was married to Kelly for thirteen years and the two share three children together. It was only after years of abuse at the hands of her husband and contemplating taking her own life that Andrea left Kelly and began speaking out against him. Since Andrea's coming forward with details of physical and sexual abuse, many other victims have shared their stories involving Kelly.
Kelly's trouble began at age 27 when he illegally married a woman named Aaliyah Haughton, who was fifteen at the time.
More chaos followed in 2002 when a sex tape involving Kelly and underage women surfaced.
Following his sex tape in 2002, his celebrity network only grew. Artists including Jay-Z, Lady Gaga, Celine Dion, Snoop Dog, 2 Chainz, Ludacris, Migos, and Juicy J have worked and collaborated with Kelly, popularizing his name across multiple music genres.
More recently in 2008, Kelly was involved in a child pornography case, which became a pop culture and media uproar.
Although Kelly has been a subject of multiple lawsuits involving sexual misconduct, the singer has never been convicted.
HERE is the problem. You have a powerful talent in the African American community who is loved and known by many and at the same time, you have a victim(s) who little to nobody knows about.
Well, NOW PEOPLE KNOW. The new Lifetime documentary series follows Kelly's misconduct completely. Included are victims coming forward with stories dating back to the 90s reveals how long, detailed, and calculated Kelly's abuse lasted.
Although the documentary has produced success in identifying and addressing sexual and physical abuse against African American women, Kelly's influence seems to be unchallenged.
While the MuteRKelly Movement aims to remove and discredit his music, Spotify reported a 16% increase in R. Kelly music streams following the documentary's airing.
Perhaps Kelly's music rankings are on the rise because some were unfamiliar with Kelly prior to the documentary and wanted to learn more; however, misogyny has long been around, tolerated, and even celebrated in many music genres.