Six survivors from the Surviving R. Kelly documentary are still waiting for justice, as R. Kelly has yet to pay them the remaining $9.9 million from a 2022 court ruling.
Get this, the women, who were awarded a $10.3 million judgment for the abuse they endured, say they have only received a fraction of what they are owed.
ICYMI, Lizette Martinez, Lisa Van Allen, Kelly Rodgers, Faith Rodgers, Roderick Gartell, and Gem Pratts—all appeared in Surviving R. Kelly—are now taking legal action to recover the remaining balance. Court documents filed in Manhattan Supreme Court reveal that, so far, they’ve only received two payments totaling less than $500,000. As a result, the plaintiffs are suing R. Kelly, his former manager Donnell Russell, Universal Music, Universal Music-Z Tunes, and the independent platform IndyBuild, accusing them of obstructing the full payment.
The sprawling lawsuit claims that, even after ending its co-publishing agreement with R. Kelly in 2019, Universal Music is still obligated to collect and distribute his royalties, and those funds should be paid directly to the survivors.
Back in August 2023, a court ruled that R. Kelly must pay $5.1 million in compensatory damages and an additional $4.5 million in punitive damages. The lawsuit also seeks $2,450.30 in daily interest, which continues to accumulate.
Unless you were under a rock, Surviving R. Kelly, which premiered in January 2019, brought the long-standing abuse allegations to light, playing a pivotal role in reshaping public opinion about the singer. Directed by Dream Hampton, the documentary featured testimonies from survivors and former associates, sparking widespread outrage and the #MuteRKelly movement, which pushed for boycotts of his music. The case against R. Kelly continues to unfold as the survivors seek to hold him accountable for the harm he caused.
