R. Kelly is now under criminal investigation

Content Warning: This article discusses sexual assault, and rape. If you or someone you know are affected by the following story, you are not alone. To speak to someone, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732.

Following the release of the Surviving R. Kelly docuseries, R. Kelly’s legal team sent a letter warning Lifetime that should the six-part docuseries air as intended, Kelly would file a federal lawsuit.

Meanwhile, many viewers also decided to take action. According to multiple reports, the Fulton County District Attorney’s phone lines were flooded with callers demanding action against the 51-year-old artist, who is responsible for multiple statutory rape and abuse allegations.

The Fulton DA office has apparently launched an investigation into the allegations, with TMZ reporting the investigation is a direct result of the airing of the six-part docuseries.

TMZ claims investigators have contacted several survivors and the families whose experiences were made public in Surviving R. Kelly, including Kelly’s ex-girlfriend Asante McGee and the parents of Joycelyn Savage.

TMZ sources also claim that producers of the docuseries refused to interview people who wanted to defend R. Kelly. As a result, he is again planning to go to court, with a source claiming “he’s going to sue everybody who had anything to do with this.”

Check out the trailer for Surviving R. Kelly:

As previously reported in our article about Kelly’s 16% sales surge after the docuseries aired, over the past 25 years, he has sold 60 million albums, sold out national tours and accrued millions of streams and radio plays.

He also did the below:

• Married 15-year-old Aaliyah in 1994 using a false birth certificate that claimed she was 18.
• Had an alleged sexual relationship with a 15-year-old Tiffany Hawkins in 1991 when he was 24.
• Featured in a videotape sent anonymously to the Chicago Sun-Times in 2001. The editors believed it to be evidence of possible child pornography.
• In the infamous “pee tape” of 2002 Kelly engaged in sex acts with and urinating on a 14-year-old girl. Later that year Kelly was indicted on 21 counts of making child pornography.
• Was accused of running a “sex cult” at his home in Chicago. In 2017 BuzzFeed published its “sex cult” story where a former personal assistant to Kelly said he only permits the women to wear jogging suits so that other men can’t see the outlines of their bodies.

The investigators are searching for information from anyone who lived with Kelly in Atlanta, or who may have worked with him during his years in the mansion and have knowledge of what went on behind closed doors.

R. Kelly’s team has provided a “no comment” to press on the matter.

This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.