Lifetime, the TV channel and company, responded to Drea Kelly’s threat to sue over her appearance in a trailer for “Surviving R. Kelly Part Two: The Reckoning.”
Drea was featured in the trailer for part two of the documentary film even though she was not an active participant, according to a report published Wednesday by Page Six.
Drea Kelly really isn’t happy with Lifetime and it looks like they could be hit with a lawsuit over “Surviving R. Kelly II”https://t.co/yFXNgop6xY
— HotNewHipHop (@HotNewHipHop) December 13, 2019
“I hope she feels differently after she sees it,” Executive Producer Brie Miranda Bryant told Page Six, referencing the impending lawsuit. “The pieces that were in the trailer are from her interview in part one. She did not sit for Part Two.”
Bryant also responded to Drea’s claims that the network did not provide participants with adequate support after the project. (RELATED: R. Kelly Accused Of Bribing A Government Official In Order To Marry Singer Aaliyah When She Was Just 15 Years Old)
“We had two therapists who were able to consult with the survivors and participants after every interview who were there throughout the duration [of production],” Bryant asserted. “We have, it may have hit 23 advocacy groups that have helped us during the making of the series to make sure we were staying within proper parameters.”
“Even decisions in terms of how we speak of these women; ‘are you a survivor’ or ‘are you a victim?’ These are conversations we really had to have,” she continued. “How do they view themselves? What’s the appropriate lens for that? We’ve tried to take it as seriously as possible. First and foremost, it’s about the survivors feeling heard and getting them the justice they feel that they need.”
“Surviving R. Kelly” premiered in January of 2019 and showcased the stories of multiple women who had accused R. Kelly of sexual abuse.
Kelly was most recently denied bail after prosecutors argued he was a flight risk due to stashed royalties from his music. He faces federal sex abuse charges in multiple states including New York and Illinois. Kelly’s trial is set to start in May of 2020 and expected to last up to three weeks.