Lifetime’s six-part docuseries Surviving R. Kelly wrapped up a few nights ago, having brought to light (and focused a great deal of public attention on) a long series of allegations of sexual assault and other misconduct against the established R&B singer. Now, TMZ is reporting that the legal apparatus of multiple U.S. jurisdictions are responding to the accusations made in Lyric R. Cabral’s series, with Illinois state attorney Kim Foxx urging any of Kelly’s alleged victims to “please come forward” and speak with law enforcement, with an eye toward an official investigation.
Foxx noted that at least two family members of women who were reported to have been in Kelly’s orbit have contacted her office since the series aired. TMZ also reports that an investigation is supposedly being conducted in Georgia as well, having already talked to at least some of the women who told their stories for the Lifetime series.
Meanwhile, Rolling Stone reports that RAINN, the Rape, Abuse, And Incest National Network, has seen a 27 percent uptick in calls to its hotline in the wake of the series airing; a spokesperson for the network noted that an upsurge like this is common whenever issues of sexual assault and other abuse move to the front of the national news cycle.