Six survivors from the “Surviving R. Kelly” documentary awarded a $10.3 million judgment against disgraced R&B singer R. Kelly in 2022 say they are still owed more than $9.9 million.
Lizette Martinez, Lisa Van Allen, Kelly Rodgers, Faith Rodgers, Roderick Gartell, and Gem Pratts—who all appeared in Surviving R. Kelly—are now suing to collect the remaining funds.
According to court documents filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, the plaintiffs have received only two payments totaling less than $500,000. Their lawsuit names R. Kelly, his former manager Donnell Russell, Universal Music, the label’s publishing arm Universal Music-Z Tunes, and the independent artist revenue-sharing platform IndyBuild. Kelly and Russell, both currently incarcerated, are accused of obstructing payments.
Court Order:
In August 2023, a court ordered R. Kelly to pay $5.1 million in compensatory damages and $4.5 million in punitive damages. The lawsuit also demands an additional $2,450.30 in daily interest.
Once one of R&B’s biggest stars, R. Kelly maintained a loyal fan base even as allegations of abuse surfaced in the 1990s. In 2008, he was acquitted on child pornography charges in Chicago, but his legal troubles escalated in the following years.
R. Kelly is serving a 31-year prison sentence. He received 30 years in a 2022 federal case for sex trafficking and racketeering in New York and an additional one-year sentence in a separate Chicago case for child pornography and enticement of minors.
“Surviving R. Kelly” is a documentary series that premiered on Lifetime in January 2019. The series, directed by Dream Hampton, explores the decades-long sexual abuse allegations against R. Kelly, featuring firsthand accounts from survivors, former associates, and journalists.
The documentary played a major role in shifting public perception of R. Kelly, leading to renewed legal scrutiny and his eventual criminal convictions. It includes testimonies from several women who accuse him of sexual, emotional, and physical abuse. The impact of Surviving R. Kelly was significant, sparking widespread outrage and inspiring the #MuteRKelly movement, which pushed for boycotts of his music.