Lifetime announced a two-hour special hosted by journalist Soledad O'Brien about the cultural impact of their docuseries, Surviving R. Kelly, on Friday.
According to Deadline, the special titled Surviving R. Kelly: The Impact will highlight how the initial docuseries, which featured alleged abuse victims of the disgraced singer, changed the conversation about sexual violence and how survivors are treated.
After the airing of the six-hour documentary in January, protesters galvanized behind the #MuteRKelly campaign and got the singer dropped from his label. Other women also came forward to share stories of their allegations of abuse by Kelly, which resulted in the Chicago native being indicted on 10 felony counts of aggravated sexual assault involving four victims. Sexual assault hotlines reported a 35 percent increase in calls. To date, more than 26 million people watched Surviving R. Kelly.
The impact of the show led to producer and showrunner dream hampton being named on the Time 100 list of most influential people. The docuseries was the recipient of the 2019 LA Press Club President's Award for Impact on Media.
The O'Brien-hosted special will features clips from the first project and interviews with lawyers, experts and psychologists, who can break down the far-reaching effects of Kelly's story. There will also be a conversation of the singer's explosive interview with Gayle King and the women that continue to stand in his corner.
Surviving R. Kelly: The Impact will air May 4 at 10 p.m. EST on Lifetime.
