1 00:00:15,972 --> 00:00:17,191 ASANTE: I would definitely characterize myself 2 00:00:17,234 --> 00:00:19,062 as a survivor. 3 00:00:19,106 --> 00:00:22,022 KANIKA: I do see myself as a victim of R. Kelly. 4 00:00:22,065 --> 00:00:23,588 LISA: I was a victim. 5 00:00:23,632 --> 00:00:25,547 JERHONDA: I don't consider myself a victim. 6 00:00:25,590 --> 00:00:26,852 LISA: I am a survivor. 7 00:00:26,896 --> 00:00:28,071 JERHONDA: I lived it 8 00:00:28,115 --> 00:00:29,942 and I survived it. 9 00:00:49,832 --> 00:00:52,487 INTERVIEWER: Why do you want to tell your story now? 10 00:00:52,530 --> 00:00:58,014 I felt like my silence allowed it to continue. 11 00:00:58,058 --> 00:01:00,799 I worked up the courage to come forward and tell my story. 12 00:01:00,843 --> 00:01:03,672 A part of me always felt like maybe I did something 13 00:01:03,715 --> 00:01:05,152 for him to treat me that way. 14 00:01:05,195 --> 00:01:06,936 I want my story to be heard 15 00:01:06,979 --> 00:01:09,634 so people could take this situation seriously. 16 00:01:09,678 --> 00:01:11,897 But when I found out it wasn't just me... 17 00:01:11,941 --> 00:01:13,203 I just don't want it to get any worse. 18 00:01:13,247 --> 00:01:14,596 KANIKA: And it was just... 19 00:01:14,639 --> 00:01:16,728 It just kept going and going and going. 20 00:01:16,772 --> 00:01:18,643 I just wanted to know that it's not... 21 00:01:18,687 --> 00:01:20,689 You know, you're not alone. 22 00:01:20,732 --> 00:01:22,604 They're not alone. 23 00:01:22,647 --> 00:01:24,214 KANIKA: It just made me... 24 00:01:24,258 --> 00:01:26,086 furious. 25 00:01:26,129 --> 00:01:28,218 I decided that enough was enough. 26 00:01:28,262 --> 00:01:31,743 [sighs] 27 00:01:31,787 --> 00:01:34,703 INTERVIEWER: Can you describe 28 00:01:34,746 --> 00:01:36,531 the physical abuse? 29 00:01:40,796 --> 00:01:42,667 [mumbles] 30 00:01:45,757 --> 00:01:47,672 [crying] 31 00:01:53,896 --> 00:01:57,073 I think I can't really talk about being abused. 32 00:01:57,117 --> 00:01:59,162 It's-it's, like... it brings back memories, 33 00:01:59,206 --> 00:02:03,384 and it's, it's very painful to have to talk about it again. 34 00:02:08,476 --> 00:02:11,348 -I'm sorry. -INTERVIEWER: It's okay. 35 00:02:11,392 --> 00:02:13,220 [crying continues] 36 00:02:17,789 --> 00:02:19,704 ♪ 37 00:02:48,864 --> 00:02:51,301 WOMAN: I met R. Kelly when I was 14. 38 00:02:51,345 --> 00:02:52,955 WOMAN 2: When I met him, I was 17 years old. 39 00:02:52,998 --> 00:02:54,174 WOMAN 3: I wanted to be a singer. 40 00:02:54,217 --> 00:02:55,740 WOMAN 4: I wanted to be a dancer. 41 00:02:55,784 --> 00:02:58,090 WOMAN 5: We thought we were gonna be stars. 42 00:02:58,134 --> 00:03:00,397 MAN: I think my daughter's 43 00:03:00,441 --> 00:03:01,833 going through prison right now. 44 00:03:01,877 --> 00:03:03,487 We got a tip that she's here. 45 00:03:03,531 --> 00:03:05,750 ♪ Oh, say 46 00:03:05,794 --> 00:03:08,579 ♪ Can you see... 47 00:03:10,146 --> 00:03:12,017 In the middle of all of these allegations, 48 00:03:12,061 --> 00:03:14,455 R. Kelly's just dropping music. 49 00:03:14,498 --> 00:03:17,893 His songs were a huge part of the soundtrack of our lives. 50 00:03:17,936 --> 00:03:21,418 ♪ I believe I can fly. 51 00:03:21,462 --> 00:03:22,550 Songs like "Ignition." 52 00:03:22,593 --> 00:03:25,901 ♪ It's the remix to "Ignition" 53 00:03:25,944 --> 00:03:27,946 ♪ Hot and fresh out the kitchen. ♪ 54 00:03:27,990 --> 00:03:29,905 "I Wish." 55 00:03:29,948 --> 00:03:32,864 ♪ I'll see you again some day 56 00:03:32,908 --> 00:03:36,651 ♪ I wish, I wish, I wish.♪ 57 00:03:36,694 --> 00:03:38,043 He had a voice 58 00:03:38,087 --> 00:03:40,132 that was incredible. 59 00:03:40,176 --> 00:03:41,786 LESLIE SEGAR: Women loved the way he looked, 60 00:03:41,830 --> 00:03:42,874 the way he sounded. 61 00:03:42,918 --> 00:03:44,659 KANIKA: People looked at him 62 00:03:44,702 --> 00:03:45,703 as the king of R&B. 63 00:03:45,747 --> 00:03:47,618 He was the biggest artist 64 00:03:47,662 --> 00:03:49,403 in the recording industry at that time 65 00:03:49,446 --> 00:03:51,274 in terms of actual record sales. 66 00:03:51,318 --> 00:03:53,450 GEM PRATTS: Robert was working with everyone. 67 00:03:53,494 --> 00:03:55,235 Snoop, Céline Dion, 68 00:03:55,278 --> 00:03:56,888 Michael Jordan, Janet Jackson. 69 00:03:56,932 --> 00:03:58,063 ANN POWERS: He worked with Michael Jackson. 70 00:03:58,107 --> 00:03:59,239 He worked with Jay-Z, 71 00:03:59,282 --> 00:04:01,806 Whitney Houston, Lady Gaga. 72 00:04:01,850 --> 00:04:04,156 R. Kelly was part of that superstar milieu. 73 00:04:06,333 --> 00:04:08,030 WOMAN: He was a hero. 74 00:04:12,339 --> 00:04:14,645 -Robert, how do you feel? -Was it you on the tape? 75 00:04:14,689 --> 00:04:16,125 MIKE JERRICK: R&B superstar 76 00:04:16,168 --> 00:04:18,301 R. Kelly on trial 77 00:04:18,345 --> 00:04:19,955 for allegedly videotaping himself 78 00:04:19,998 --> 00:04:22,349 having sex with an underage girl. 79 00:04:22,392 --> 00:04:26,004 NEWSWOMAN: Jurors found him not guilty on all charges. 80 00:04:27,571 --> 00:04:29,965 R. Kelly has a problem. 81 00:04:32,184 --> 00:04:34,186 The accusations are now part of pop culture. 82 00:04:34,230 --> 00:04:36,319 TOURE: South Park touched on it. 83 00:04:36,363 --> 00:04:38,278 Chappelle's Show touched on it. 84 00:04:38,321 --> 00:04:41,281 After R. Kelly got off trial, 85 00:04:41,324 --> 00:04:43,152 I'd do the interview. 86 00:04:43,195 --> 00:04:44,632 He was very nervous. 87 00:04:44,675 --> 00:04:48,244 Do you like teenage girls? 88 00:04:48,288 --> 00:04:52,335 When you say "teenage," how old are we talking? 89 00:04:52,379 --> 00:04:54,294 This is an industry 90 00:04:54,337 --> 00:04:56,078 where anything goes. 91 00:04:56,121 --> 00:04:57,035 NELSON GEORGE: He's a font of money. 92 00:04:57,079 --> 00:04:58,123 He was like a bad boy, 93 00:04:58,167 --> 00:04:59,560 like an antihero. 94 00:04:59,603 --> 00:05:00,996 MISS INFO: You know that he's dirty, 95 00:05:01,039 --> 00:05:02,824 which is so delusional 96 00:05:02,867 --> 00:05:04,652 for us to kind of feel like, 97 00:05:04,695 --> 00:05:05,783 "Oh, it's all good now." 98 00:05:06,958 --> 00:05:08,482 MAN: R. Kelly has power 99 00:05:08,525 --> 00:05:11,049 over these young girls. 100 00:05:11,093 --> 00:05:12,399 WOMAN: I had to wait for permission 101 00:05:12,442 --> 00:05:14,749 to be able to use the bathroom. 102 00:05:14,792 --> 00:05:16,141 -It's okay. Okay. -[sobbing] 103 00:05:16,185 --> 00:05:18,318 Your dad says he loves you so much. 104 00:05:18,361 --> 00:05:20,232 CRAIG WILLIAMS: What the heck is he doing 105 00:05:20,276 --> 00:05:22,234 hanging around the high school? 106 00:05:22,278 --> 00:05:24,585 R. Kelly believes he can fly 107 00:05:24,628 --> 00:05:26,369 and that he is untouchable. 108 00:05:26,413 --> 00:05:28,284 -PROTESTER: Shame on you! -PROTESTERS: Shame on you! 109 00:05:28,328 --> 00:05:30,286 -Shame on you! -Shame on you! 110 00:05:30,330 --> 00:05:34,072 -Mute R. Kelly! -Mute R. Kelly! 111 00:05:40,340 --> 00:05:43,778 POWERS: His performances were increasingly pornographic. 112 00:05:48,783 --> 00:05:50,872 [indistinct chatter] 113 00:05:50,915 --> 00:05:52,917 -You understand me? -Yes, sir. Yes, sir. 114 00:05:52,961 --> 00:05:55,746 Drop your [bleep], big dog. 115 00:05:55,790 --> 00:05:57,531 That's right. 116 00:05:57,574 --> 00:05:59,881 I am handcuffed, like a lot of you mother[bleep]. 117 00:05:59,924 --> 00:06:02,884 I'm handcuffed by my destiny. It's too late. 118 00:06:02,927 --> 00:06:05,365 They should've did this [bleep] 30 years ago. 119 00:06:05,408 --> 00:06:07,279 -It's too late. -Tell 'em, R. 120 00:06:12,023 --> 00:06:13,851 [children chattering] 121 00:06:22,599 --> 00:06:25,994 My family grew up in Altgeld Gardens housing projects. 122 00:06:26,037 --> 00:06:29,432 [children continue chattering] 123 00:06:29,476 --> 00:06:31,869 My name is Carey Kelly, 124 00:06:31,913 --> 00:06:34,568 and I'm R. Kelly's baby brother. 125 00:06:36,744 --> 00:06:39,050 Theresa's the oldest. 126 00:06:39,094 --> 00:06:41,705 Bruce is the second oldest. 127 00:06:41,749 --> 00:06:45,796 Robert, and then myself. 128 00:06:49,104 --> 00:06:51,411 KATHY CHANEY: R. Kelly did face hardships 129 00:06:51,454 --> 00:06:53,325 with his family. 130 00:06:55,458 --> 00:06:58,026 Like many other, you know, households 131 00:06:58,069 --> 00:07:01,377 in the inner city. 132 00:07:01,421 --> 00:07:03,292 You may not know where your next meal was coming from. 133 00:07:03,335 --> 00:07:04,685 People living check to check. 134 00:07:07,427 --> 00:07:11,256 CAREY: Even though we grew up living in the projects, 135 00:07:11,300 --> 00:07:15,478 Robert is not cut from a cloth of being street. 136 00:07:16,784 --> 00:07:20,048 He was mild-mannered, afraid. 137 00:07:22,006 --> 00:07:24,444 He didn't come outside. He stayed 138 00:07:24,487 --> 00:07:27,185 in the house and played with his keyboard. 139 00:07:32,539 --> 00:07:34,889 My name's Bruce Kelly. 140 00:07:34,932 --> 00:07:38,240 In my earliest childhood memories, 141 00:07:38,283 --> 00:07:41,243 Robert was shy and very timid, you know. 142 00:07:41,286 --> 00:07:45,377 If you'd stare at him in his face, he'd start crying. 143 00:07:45,421 --> 00:07:48,424 We would have to urge him on to sing 144 00:07:48,468 --> 00:07:50,165 'cause he was really shy, 145 00:07:50,208 --> 00:07:52,341 and he would sing with his back turned to people 146 00:07:52,384 --> 00:07:55,039 so he wouldn't have to look them in the face. 147 00:07:57,738 --> 00:08:00,131 CAREY: Everybody have a mother. 148 00:08:00,175 --> 00:08:02,003 They have a father. 149 00:08:04,527 --> 00:08:07,225 But our father had-had, you know, just left 150 00:08:07,269 --> 00:08:09,750 and said forget us. 151 00:08:12,056 --> 00:08:16,234 It was a struggle, but we never went hungry. 152 00:08:16,278 --> 00:08:18,323 CHANEY: R. Kelly grew up 153 00:08:18,367 --> 00:08:20,151 in the church. His mother sang in the church. 154 00:08:21,936 --> 00:08:25,113 BRUCE: My mother was the lead singer of the choir. 155 00:08:25,156 --> 00:08:28,508 She would make people catch the spirits, as they call them. 156 00:08:28,551 --> 00:08:31,511 She was a very big fan of Aretha Franklin, 157 00:08:31,554 --> 00:08:34,470 Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan. 158 00:08:34,514 --> 00:08:36,428 When she would do Gladys Knight, 159 00:08:36,472 --> 00:08:39,170 we would be her Pips. 160 00:08:39,214 --> 00:08:40,911 So it just grew. We just, we loved music 161 00:08:40,955 --> 00:08:42,086 just as much as she did. 162 00:08:44,828 --> 00:08:47,222 Robert had problems reading and writing. 163 00:08:49,485 --> 00:08:52,357 He did apply hisself. He-he took tutoring 164 00:08:52,401 --> 00:08:55,578 and-and things of that nature. 165 00:08:55,622 --> 00:08:58,494 He just couldn't... he couldn't grasp a hold to it. 166 00:08:58,538 --> 00:09:00,583 One day I came home, 167 00:09:00,627 --> 00:09:01,932 Robert was locked in the bathroom. 168 00:09:01,976 --> 00:09:03,673 He was in there crying. 169 00:09:03,717 --> 00:09:05,893 And I... I'm listening. 170 00:09:05,936 --> 00:09:08,809 I hear him in there... just crying. 171 00:09:08,852 --> 00:09:11,072 I knock on the door. "Robert." 172 00:09:11,115 --> 00:09:13,248 He tried to straight... "Yeah." 173 00:09:13,291 --> 00:09:15,598 I said, "What's wrong with you, man?" 174 00:09:15,642 --> 00:09:19,254 Broke down, started crying again. 175 00:09:19,297 --> 00:09:22,126 "I'm just tired of these kids always teasing me 176 00:09:22,170 --> 00:09:24,520 'cause I can't read." 177 00:09:24,564 --> 00:09:27,523 I'm like, "Man, look, let me tell you something. 178 00:09:27,567 --> 00:09:31,875 "It gonna be the same kids that's gonna be crying 179 00:09:31,919 --> 00:09:36,532 because you're famous." 180 00:09:36,576 --> 00:09:38,490 He taught hisself to play by ear. 181 00:09:38,534 --> 00:09:41,711 What he hear... If he hear a beat in his head, 182 00:09:41,755 --> 00:09:43,539 he'd pick it until he... 183 00:09:43,583 --> 00:09:45,672 until that beat come alive. 184 00:09:45,715 --> 00:09:47,108 He would hum it and sing it, 185 00:09:47,151 --> 00:09:49,284 versus having to write it musically 186 00:09:49,327 --> 00:09:51,112 or, you know, write or read music. 187 00:09:51,155 --> 00:09:53,244 He actually gravitated to it like... 188 00:09:53,288 --> 00:09:54,985 It's-it's like he knew 189 00:09:55,029 --> 00:09:56,857 that-that was his purpose. 190 00:10:02,906 --> 00:10:06,388 My name is Craig Williams. I've known Rob about... 191 00:10:06,431 --> 00:10:09,434 30 years, I guess. I met him back in the late '80s. 192 00:10:09,478 --> 00:10:13,656 I was at-at the recording studio Chicago Trax. 193 00:10:13,700 --> 00:10:16,267 Gavin Christopher was an artist in Chicago. 194 00:10:16,311 --> 00:10:17,660 He came to the studio, 195 00:10:17,704 --> 00:10:21,185 and he brought this kid with him. 196 00:10:21,229 --> 00:10:24,449 And the kid was Rob. 197 00:10:24,493 --> 00:10:27,583 He had a little white Casio piano. 198 00:10:27,627 --> 00:10:30,020 Gavin says, "You got to check this kid out. 199 00:10:30,064 --> 00:10:31,282 He can really sing." 200 00:10:31,326 --> 00:10:32,675 He said, "Sing for him." 201 00:10:32,719 --> 00:10:35,069 Rob turned on his piano, 202 00:10:35,112 --> 00:10:37,767 and he started singing a song about roses 203 00:10:37,811 --> 00:10:40,596 or something like that. 204 00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:44,208 He had a voice that was incredible. 205 00:10:44,252 --> 00:10:47,168 It sounded like a hit song already, so I was thinking 206 00:10:47,211 --> 00:10:49,649 he was playing something that was already written, 207 00:10:49,692 --> 00:10:53,565 but this was a song that he had written himself. 208 00:10:53,609 --> 00:10:56,743 At that point, I knew that this kid was something. 209 00:10:56,786 --> 00:11:00,094 He really reminded me of Marvin Gaye 210 00:11:00,137 --> 00:11:02,487 was the first thing, and a Sam Cooke, 211 00:11:02,531 --> 00:11:04,228 a legend. 212 00:11:04,272 --> 00:11:06,796 He was amazing. 213 00:11:06,840 --> 00:11:08,972 CAREY: Robert pretty much stayed busy. 214 00:11:09,016 --> 00:11:10,365 He pretty much went to the studio. 215 00:11:10,408 --> 00:11:12,367 He pretty much became more creative. 216 00:11:12,410 --> 00:11:15,065 He became obsessed with doing music 217 00:11:15,109 --> 00:11:16,676 because that was his outlet, 218 00:11:16,719 --> 00:11:20,549 because it took his mind away from reality... 219 00:11:20,592 --> 00:11:22,507 which was kind of rough. 220 00:11:22,551 --> 00:11:24,422 [train passing] 221 00:11:32,213 --> 00:11:34,781 R. KELLY: Like anything else when you're a child, 222 00:11:34,824 --> 00:11:38,088 whatever you're taught, um... 223 00:11:38,132 --> 00:11:40,134 it goes with you. 224 00:11:42,963 --> 00:11:47,097 CAREY: Once we moved out the projects... 225 00:11:47,141 --> 00:11:50,318 a lot of things changed for the worse. 226 00:11:54,409 --> 00:11:57,020 I recently saw the interview, 227 00:11:57,064 --> 00:12:00,807 uh, that R. Kelly did with Tavis Smiley... 228 00:12:02,547 --> 00:12:04,462 ...which was striking. 229 00:12:04,506 --> 00:12:06,377 SMILEY: At eight or nine years of age, you talk in the book 230 00:12:06,421 --> 00:12:09,337 about how exposed you were to sex. 231 00:12:09,380 --> 00:12:12,253 You saw it. There were adults 232 00:12:12,296 --> 00:12:14,342 who should not have been but were coming on to you 233 00:12:14,385 --> 00:12:15,865 even when you were a child. 234 00:12:15,909 --> 00:12:18,259 What'd that do to you to be exposed to sex 235 00:12:18,302 --> 00:12:20,696 at that early age? 236 00:12:20,740 --> 00:12:23,438 [sighs] 237 00:12:23,481 --> 00:12:25,527 Well... 238 00:12:25,570 --> 00:12:28,835 um, I'm not gonna throw any of my people 239 00:12:28,878 --> 00:12:31,925 or... my family under a bus, 240 00:12:31,968 --> 00:12:35,537 but I feel I owe my fans, um... 241 00:12:37,887 --> 00:12:40,803 ...at least enough for them to have an understanding 242 00:12:40,847 --> 00:12:48,898 as to what I went through. 243 00:12:48,942 --> 00:12:50,726 R. KELLY: I was molested when I was sevenAnd, yes 244 00:12:50,770 --> 00:12:54,295 on to maybe 13, 14, something like that, 245 00:12:54,338 --> 00:12:57,298 uh, by people in my family. 246 00:12:59,039 --> 00:13:02,956 Sexually, it woke up my hormones 247 00:13:02,999 --> 00:13:05,045 a lot earlier than it... 248 00:13:05,088 --> 00:13:06,829 they were supposed to be awakened. 249 00:13:11,616 --> 00:13:15,316 When you're a child, you don't really know. 250 00:13:15,359 --> 00:13:17,579 You only see, 251 00:13:17,622 --> 00:13:20,756 and you learn, and you try to figure it out. 252 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:25,108 It enhances your curiosity before its time. 253 00:13:25,152 --> 00:13:27,458 You're not supposed to be curious about sex, 254 00:13:27,502 --> 00:13:29,765 because you're not supposed to see sex right now. 255 00:13:35,727 --> 00:13:38,600 I believe that-that Robert... that it's possible. 256 00:13:38,643 --> 00:13:41,168 I don't think that he... If he's saying that, 257 00:13:41,211 --> 00:13:43,126 I don't think that he's lying. 258 00:13:43,170 --> 00:13:46,608 Because it happened to me. It happened to me. 259 00:13:46,651 --> 00:13:50,699 You know, I really don't talk to people about a lot of things 260 00:13:50,742 --> 00:13:53,006 that... that I have been going through. 261 00:13:53,049 --> 00:13:55,356 I just... I just keep it and hold it. 262 00:13:57,184 --> 00:13:59,534 I was molested by a family member, 263 00:13:59,577 --> 00:14:02,145 and that... 264 00:14:02,189 --> 00:14:05,366 shook my world, you know, 'cause I-I didn't understand it. 265 00:14:05,409 --> 00:14:07,455 Um, I knew it wasn't right, 266 00:14:07,498 --> 00:14:10,545 even though I was six years old at that time. 267 00:14:10,588 --> 00:14:14,027 I knew it wasn't right, but it was happening to me. 268 00:14:14,070 --> 00:14:18,031 I was afraid to tell my mom, um... 269 00:14:18,074 --> 00:14:21,208 um, because of the person, who they were. 270 00:14:21,251 --> 00:14:22,731 I-I didn't... 271 00:14:22,774 --> 00:14:25,647 I didn't know if she was gonna... 272 00:14:25,690 --> 00:14:29,694 believe me, so I was afraid to tell her. 273 00:14:29,738 --> 00:14:31,653 Robert, him being my big brother, 274 00:14:31,696 --> 00:14:33,350 I brought that to him 275 00:14:33,394 --> 00:14:36,005 and told-told him what happened to me. 276 00:14:36,049 --> 00:14:38,181 And when I told him what happened to me, 277 00:14:38,225 --> 00:14:41,141 um... 278 00:14:41,184 --> 00:14:44,666 he didn't, he didn't really respond to it 279 00:14:44,709 --> 00:14:47,321 like I felt that he should. 280 00:14:47,364 --> 00:14:48,626 When-when I told him, he said, 281 00:14:48,670 --> 00:14:49,889 "No, that didn't, that didn't happen, 282 00:14:49,932 --> 00:14:51,368 that didn't happen to you." 283 00:14:51,412 --> 00:14:53,109 And I said, "Yes, it did." 284 00:14:53,153 --> 00:14:54,894 You know, Robert said, "No, it didn't." 285 00:14:54,937 --> 00:14:56,547 Then I left it alone. 286 00:14:56,591 --> 00:14:58,549 I really knew not to take it to my mom then. 287 00:14:58,593 --> 00:15:00,551 My brothers was the test. 288 00:15:00,595 --> 00:15:04,294 If they believed me, then maybe I could've took it to an adult. 289 00:15:06,775 --> 00:15:10,518 Child sexual abuse confuses power and control with sex. 290 00:15:10,561 --> 00:15:13,303 And so... 291 00:15:13,347 --> 00:15:16,263 children may want to say, like, 292 00:15:16,306 --> 00:15:19,309 "I want to be the one that's in that power position," right? 293 00:15:19,353 --> 00:15:21,268 "I never want to be a victim again. 294 00:15:21,311 --> 00:15:23,531 "I want to the person that's in the power 295 00:15:23,574 --> 00:15:24,793 in a sexual relationship." 296 00:15:24,836 --> 00:15:26,186 And so, as they get older, 297 00:15:26,229 --> 00:15:27,927 they want to make sure 298 00:15:27,970 --> 00:15:31,060 that they're always in that power position. 299 00:15:31,104 --> 00:15:34,020 And there's really no more powerful position 300 00:15:34,063 --> 00:15:39,416 in a sexual relationship than to be the abuser to the child. 301 00:15:42,028 --> 00:15:43,943 ♪ 302 00:15:46,032 --> 00:15:47,816 I met Robert at Kenwood High School. 303 00:15:47,859 --> 00:15:49,644 We were in the choir together. 304 00:15:49,687 --> 00:15:51,559 Under Dr. Lena McLin. 305 00:15:51,602 --> 00:15:54,736 JAMILAH LEMIEUX: One of the crown jewels 306 00:15:54,779 --> 00:15:57,826 in Kenwood Academy's, you know, reputation 307 00:15:57,869 --> 00:16:00,960 is their concert choir under the direction of Dr. Lena McLin. 308 00:16:02,744 --> 00:16:05,529 GEM: She was truly like... 309 00:16:05,573 --> 00:16:08,402 Rob's surrogate mother. 310 00:16:08,445 --> 00:16:11,709 She loved that boy, took him under her wing, 311 00:16:11,753 --> 00:16:14,016 and... 312 00:16:14,060 --> 00:16:15,931 really made him and honed him 313 00:16:15,975 --> 00:16:19,108 into being the singer that he is today. 314 00:16:19,152 --> 00:16:23,156 My grandma taught at Kenwood Academy as a music teacher. 315 00:16:23,199 --> 00:16:26,159 So don't nobody think I'm hard, 'cause I'm really very nice. 316 00:16:26,202 --> 00:16:29,423 She was more than just a music teacher to a lot of people. 317 00:16:29,466 --> 00:16:33,079 She was a mother to a lot of people, and still is. 318 00:16:33,122 --> 00:16:35,255 My grandma's taught so many students, 319 00:16:35,298 --> 00:16:37,822 and... of the notable students, 320 00:16:37,866 --> 00:16:39,476 Mandy Patinkin, 321 00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:40,825 Da Brat, 322 00:16:40,869 --> 00:16:42,218 Jennifer Hudson, 323 00:16:42,262 --> 00:16:43,698 Chaka Khan, 324 00:16:43,741 --> 00:16:44,829 just to name a few. 325 00:16:46,266 --> 00:16:48,311 LENA: I was impressed, 326 00:16:48,355 --> 00:16:50,792 and I was amazed, 327 00:16:50,835 --> 00:16:53,534 because he was musically... 328 00:16:53,577 --> 00:16:56,493 uh, genius material. 329 00:16:56,537 --> 00:16:58,234 INTERVIEWER: Did he ever talk about his home life? 330 00:16:58,278 --> 00:17:01,281 No, he didn't talk about that, 331 00:17:01,324 --> 00:17:05,415 but you knew about it, because it came out in the music... 332 00:17:05,459 --> 00:17:08,375 in what-what they express, you know. 333 00:17:08,418 --> 00:17:11,030 Children express what they fear, 334 00:17:11,073 --> 00:17:14,207 they love, that's around them, you know. 335 00:17:16,644 --> 00:17:19,473 And he was very... 336 00:17:19,516 --> 00:17:22,432 very aggressive. 337 00:17:22,476 --> 00:17:23,825 [laughs] 338 00:17:23,868 --> 00:17:26,088 What do you mean by aggressive? 339 00:17:26,132 --> 00:17:30,788 Well, yeah, aggressive in some of his sexual language, too. 340 00:17:30,832 --> 00:17:33,400 Which we had to discuss 341 00:17:33,443 --> 00:17:37,491 and say that it wouldn't be appropriate to school. 342 00:17:37,534 --> 00:17:41,451 It wouldn't really be... really be appropriate, period. 343 00:17:43,279 --> 00:17:45,368 GEM: He dropped out senior year. 344 00:17:45,412 --> 00:17:47,153 You saw his confidence... 345 00:17:47,196 --> 00:17:50,112 kind of swell 346 00:17:50,156 --> 00:17:52,462 once he realized he had a gift, 347 00:17:52,506 --> 00:17:54,725 you know, when it came to, uh, singing. 348 00:17:54,769 --> 00:17:59,817 And it went from him being shy to confident. 349 00:17:59,861 --> 00:18:02,864 It was really, uh, an evolution. 350 00:18:02,907 --> 00:18:06,128 He just honed in on his craft and just... 351 00:18:06,172 --> 00:18:07,956 he made himself 352 00:18:07,999 --> 00:18:10,828 into a great singer. 353 00:18:10,872 --> 00:18:14,093 CAREY: He got noticed... 354 00:18:14,136 --> 00:18:18,967 basically, when he actually went to Natalie Cole's Big Break. 355 00:18:19,010 --> 00:18:20,403 Robert said, "I'm gonna win the show. 356 00:18:20,447 --> 00:18:22,188 I'm gonna win the show." 357 00:18:22,231 --> 00:18:25,452 You had the best talent, you know, in the, in the nation, 358 00:18:25,495 --> 00:18:27,932 and it whittled down to two groups. 359 00:18:27,976 --> 00:18:30,021 Okay, for R. Kelly and MGM, 360 00:18:30,065 --> 00:18:32,546 -they received 280 points. -[cheering] 361 00:18:32,589 --> 00:18:35,679 R. Kelly and MGM is the champion! 362 00:18:35,723 --> 00:18:38,247 A hundred thousand dollars! 363 00:18:38,291 --> 00:18:39,814 Hello! 364 00:18:39,857 --> 00:18:42,730 ♪ 365 00:18:44,471 --> 00:18:48,301 CAREY: That's when all the labels start calling, 366 00:18:48,344 --> 00:18:50,129 and that's when he took off. 367 00:18:50,172 --> 00:18:54,611 Once he signed to Jive Records, it was a wrap. 368 00:18:57,658 --> 00:18:59,573 ♪ 369 00:19:03,142 --> 00:19:05,405 I was traveling through Hyde Park at one time, 370 00:19:05,448 --> 00:19:08,277 and I stopped at a store, and Rob was driving by, 371 00:19:08,321 --> 00:19:10,714 and he was on his way to Kenwood High School. 372 00:19:10,758 --> 00:19:13,195 And I heard a lot about Rob going 373 00:19:13,239 --> 00:19:15,937 to Kenwood High School to, to hang out, 374 00:19:15,980 --> 00:19:18,418 and I always wondered, what the heck is he doing 375 00:19:18,461 --> 00:19:20,333 hanging around the high school? 376 00:19:20,376 --> 00:19:24,293 He's... left high school many years ago. 377 00:19:24,337 --> 00:19:25,860 And, uh... 378 00:19:27,427 --> 00:19:29,342 That's all I can say on that one, 379 00:19:29,385 --> 00:19:32,083 'cause I don't know, but I heard that, you know, 380 00:19:32,127 --> 00:19:35,565 he was picking up a lot of... a lot of kids from the school. 381 00:19:35,609 --> 00:19:37,524 ♪ 382 00:19:42,964 --> 00:19:44,444 My name is Jovante Cunningham. 383 00:19:44,487 --> 00:19:47,403 I have known Robert Kelly since 1991. 384 00:19:47,447 --> 00:19:50,450 At that time, I was about 14. 385 00:19:50,493 --> 00:19:52,408 I met him through a dear friend of mine, 386 00:19:52,452 --> 00:19:53,670 Tiffany. 387 00:19:53,714 --> 00:19:56,673 She was also, uh, yeah, 14. 388 00:19:56,717 --> 00:19:58,762 He was an upcoming artist. 389 00:19:58,806 --> 00:20:02,070 She knew him prior to me meeting her. 390 00:20:02,113 --> 00:20:04,420 I believe they met at Kenwood High School, 391 00:20:04,464 --> 00:20:06,553 and she asked, 392 00:20:06,596 --> 00:20:08,555 "You want to go down and meet so and so?" 393 00:20:08,598 --> 00:20:09,730 And I'm like, "Who is that?" 394 00:20:09,773 --> 00:20:11,253 And we went. 395 00:20:11,297 --> 00:20:13,255 And that's how it started. 396 00:20:15,910 --> 00:20:17,738 Ooh. 397 00:20:17,781 --> 00:20:20,088 Wasn't something that was talked about, you know. 398 00:20:20,131 --> 00:20:21,568 I don't remember actually saying, 399 00:20:21,611 --> 00:20:23,613 "Hey, by the way, how old are you?" 400 00:20:23,657 --> 00:20:27,269 We were doing the background vocals 401 00:20:27,313 --> 00:20:29,619 for theBorn into the 90's album. 402 00:20:29,663 --> 00:20:32,927 He would just ask us to come into the studio, 403 00:20:32,970 --> 00:20:35,146 and, "You sing this, you sing this, 404 00:20:35,190 --> 00:20:37,366 you sing that, y'all sing it together." 405 00:20:37,410 --> 00:20:40,195 And that's how it would go. 406 00:20:40,239 --> 00:20:44,025 I wanted to be a professional singer. 407 00:20:44,068 --> 00:20:46,854 You're up close and personal with, um, someone 408 00:20:46,897 --> 00:20:49,160 who is potentially going to be... 409 00:20:49,204 --> 00:20:51,467 seen in the... in the world, 410 00:20:51,511 --> 00:20:54,688 and... you're young, you know? 411 00:20:54,731 --> 00:20:56,733 You're excited. You think, "Wow," you know? 412 00:20:56,777 --> 00:20:58,822 "Who's this person?" and "What do you got going on?" 413 00:20:58,866 --> 00:21:00,868 and "Can I hear your music?" 414 00:21:00,911 --> 00:21:02,261 And that was the first time I heard "Honey Love," 415 00:21:02,304 --> 00:21:04,263 and I was like, "Wow!" 416 00:21:04,306 --> 00:21:07,440 ♪ 'Cause there is something' that ♪ 417 00:21:07,483 --> 00:21:09,485 ♪ I want from you... 418 00:21:09,529 --> 00:21:11,748 A very talented young man, and... 419 00:21:11,792 --> 00:21:14,969 his ability to create music is ingenious. 420 00:21:15,012 --> 00:21:17,319 It really is. He's truly a talent. 421 00:21:17,363 --> 00:21:19,974 ♪ 422 00:21:20,017 --> 00:21:21,323 JACQUES CONWAY: Right across the street 423 00:21:21,367 --> 00:21:23,194 from Kenwood High School, 424 00:21:23,238 --> 00:21:26,459 I would see R. Kelly there 425 00:21:26,502 --> 00:21:29,418 on a regular basis, and these were high school girls, 426 00:21:29,462 --> 00:21:31,638 freshmen, sophomores, I couldn't tell exactly. 427 00:21:31,681 --> 00:21:34,205 But I know they were students at the, at the high school. 428 00:21:34,249 --> 00:21:36,686 His nickname is not Pied Piper for nothing. 429 00:21:36,730 --> 00:21:40,386 Pied Piper's whole purpose is to bring the young people to him, 430 00:21:40,429 --> 00:21:43,476 to follow him, to admire him, to listen to him. 431 00:21:43,519 --> 00:21:45,434 And so, he's good at it. 432 00:21:47,131 --> 00:21:49,003 MIKKI KENDALL: The first time I saw R. Kelly, 433 00:21:49,046 --> 00:21:52,963 I was probably around 12, maybe 13. 434 00:21:53,007 --> 00:21:55,357 We would hang out 435 00:21:55,401 --> 00:21:57,968 at the McDonald's in Hyde Park. 436 00:21:58,012 --> 00:22:00,275 I was 14 years old. 437 00:22:00,319 --> 00:22:02,886 And we'd always see him come in by himself 438 00:22:02,930 --> 00:22:05,585 but leave with, with some student. 439 00:22:05,628 --> 00:22:06,890 DEMETRIUS SMITH: We'd meet girls. 440 00:22:06,934 --> 00:22:09,023 Robert would, um... 441 00:22:09,066 --> 00:22:11,634 Iwould... 442 00:22:11,678 --> 00:22:14,420 a lot of times, make people know that R. Kelly's here. 443 00:22:14,463 --> 00:22:17,597 KENDALL: You would see the Ford Explorer pull up. 444 00:22:19,555 --> 00:22:21,557 There were a bunch of girls in Kenwood jackets, 445 00:22:21,601 --> 00:22:23,037 in high school clothes. 446 00:22:24,821 --> 00:22:27,258 You would see him and his group of guys 447 00:22:27,302 --> 00:22:28,738 come in and kind of hang out. 448 00:22:28,782 --> 00:22:30,218 "Mr. Kelly wants to meet you." 449 00:22:30,261 --> 00:22:32,394 ♪ 450 00:22:32,438 --> 00:22:34,701 And you'd look over, and there was like a little nod. 451 00:22:34,744 --> 00:22:36,790 If you're the girl that smiles back, 452 00:22:36,833 --> 00:22:39,270 that's when he starts talking to you. 453 00:22:39,314 --> 00:22:40,750 CHANEY: Public Announcement, 454 00:22:40,794 --> 00:22:44,101 R. Kelly,Born into the 90's. 455 00:22:44,145 --> 00:22:46,321 He was on the rise. He knew that 456 00:22:46,365 --> 00:22:48,845 he had the singing career, and he was blowing up, 457 00:22:48,889 --> 00:22:51,631 and who wouldn't want to be with a superstar? 458 00:22:51,674 --> 00:22:53,981 He liked high school girls. 459 00:22:54,024 --> 00:22:56,636 He could influence them more. 460 00:22:56,679 --> 00:22:59,465 They were more impressionable. 461 00:22:59,508 --> 00:23:01,423 He tries to slide in in that space 462 00:23:01,467 --> 00:23:03,338 where girls don't know better yet, 463 00:23:03,382 --> 00:23:07,734 where they can't necessarily spot a predator. 464 00:23:07,777 --> 00:23:11,041 People will say, "Well, why didn't anyone notice?" 465 00:23:12,869 --> 00:23:14,436 The answer is that we all noticed; 466 00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:16,612 no one cared because we were black girls. 467 00:23:21,312 --> 00:23:23,402 JOVANTE: I would hear different things, but I didn't realize 468 00:23:23,445 --> 00:23:25,621 what was going on at the time. 469 00:23:25,665 --> 00:23:29,451 I know when we were around, as children ourselves, 470 00:23:29,495 --> 00:23:31,410 as teenagers, 471 00:23:31,453 --> 00:23:33,760 [laughs]: it was, "Go out, find me some girls," 472 00:23:33,803 --> 00:23:35,936 to recruit, in a sense. 473 00:23:35,979 --> 00:23:38,721 I mean, and at that time you didn't think of it as that. 474 00:23:38,765 --> 00:23:40,810 At that time you're thinking, "Go get me some girls"? 475 00:23:40,854 --> 00:23:43,857 I mean, we weren't looking for underage women. 476 00:23:43,900 --> 00:23:46,468 In our minds we were just looking for girls. 477 00:23:46,512 --> 00:23:49,036 We were so stupid. 478 00:23:49,079 --> 00:23:51,038 Just so... 479 00:23:51,081 --> 00:23:52,779 naive. 480 00:23:52,822 --> 00:23:56,435 ♪ 481 00:23:56,478 --> 00:23:58,959 The first time I witnessed a sexual act in the studio 482 00:23:59,002 --> 00:24:00,830 was during the recording 483 00:24:00,874 --> 00:24:02,963 of "Slow Dance," the remix. 484 00:24:03,006 --> 00:24:06,445 He had one of my teenage friends in the booth with him bent over. 485 00:24:11,450 --> 00:24:13,408 And we were all right there. 486 00:24:13,452 --> 00:24:15,802 ♪ 487 00:24:15,845 --> 00:24:18,500 I will not say with whom, 488 00:24:18,544 --> 00:24:20,502 but none of us were of age. 489 00:24:20,546 --> 00:24:22,461 None of us. 490 00:24:35,996 --> 00:24:37,911 Um... 491 00:24:39,565 --> 00:24:42,002 We went through a lot. 492 00:24:42,045 --> 00:24:44,134 We experienced a lot. 493 00:24:44,178 --> 00:24:46,049 We saw a lot. Um... 494 00:24:48,312 --> 00:24:52,839 It was a period of time when... 495 00:24:52,882 --> 00:24:56,103 um... 496 00:24:56,146 --> 00:24:58,409 we were just trying to make it. 497 00:24:58,453 --> 00:25:00,586 We had... we had big dreams, 498 00:25:00,629 --> 00:25:04,938 and we thought we were gonna be somebody. 499 00:25:12,511 --> 00:25:14,121 "And don't give me that bull[bleep] about it. 500 00:25:14,164 --> 00:25:16,515 You should not meet 'em." 501 00:25:16,558 --> 00:25:19,909 And that was my language to him consistently. 502 00:25:19,953 --> 00:25:22,433 He has no business around them. 503 00:25:22,477 --> 00:25:25,436 They were too young for him. 504 00:25:25,480 --> 00:25:28,352 I told him, "Go on, live your life the way you want to live, 505 00:25:28,396 --> 00:25:30,398 but don't bring down somebody else's life." 506 00:25:35,621 --> 00:25:37,971 LEMIEUX: So, 1993, 507 00:25:38,014 --> 00:25:41,496 we get 12 Play,which is, 508 00:25:41,540 --> 00:25:45,587 in my opinion, what really establishes R. Kelly as 509 00:25:45,631 --> 00:25:47,676 one of the most influential, 510 00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:51,680 if not themost influential R&B artist of his generation. 511 00:25:51,724 --> 00:25:54,727 "Bump n' Grind" is his first big song. 512 00:25:54,770 --> 00:25:56,555 ♪ With a little bump and grind ♪ 513 00:25:56,598 --> 00:25:58,600 ♪ With a little bump and grind... ♪ 514 00:25:58,644 --> 00:26:00,689 It's kind of slow, like a ballad, 515 00:26:00,733 --> 00:26:03,039 but then it's like, 516 00:26:03,083 --> 00:26:06,869 there's nothing wrong with being physical and sexual. 517 00:26:06,913 --> 00:26:10,612 And so, it's sort of that classic R&B message of, like, 518 00:26:10,656 --> 00:26:13,049 sexuality's okay, like, it's okay to be physical. 519 00:26:13,093 --> 00:26:15,791 LEMIEUX: In the beginning, with 12 Play, we get to this point 520 00:26:15,835 --> 00:26:18,098 where it's less about having 521 00:26:18,141 --> 00:26:21,318 beautiful lyrics, or a beautiful melody and a great voice, 522 00:26:21,362 --> 00:26:23,494 and almost about this kind of shock and awe, 523 00:26:23,538 --> 00:26:25,453 and this raunch and this raw sexuality. 524 00:26:25,496 --> 00:26:27,629 You know, "Sex Me." 525 00:26:27,673 --> 00:26:30,458 TOURE: I mean, a lot of these songs are great, you know. 526 00:26:30,501 --> 00:26:32,895 It's just that, when you start to think about the sort of 527 00:26:32,939 --> 00:26:34,767 person behind them, you start to go, like... 528 00:26:34,810 --> 00:26:36,203 [Touré sucks in through teeth] 529 00:26:36,246 --> 00:26:37,639 [grunts] 530 00:26:37,683 --> 00:26:40,599 CRAIG: I remember Rob from nothing 531 00:26:40,642 --> 00:26:44,646 and sleeping in his car... 532 00:26:44,690 --> 00:26:46,561 to stardom just that fast. 533 00:26:47,997 --> 00:26:49,999 I can only imagine that 534 00:26:50,043 --> 00:26:53,524 he got caught up and lost himself 535 00:26:53,568 --> 00:26:55,570 in the fame and the fortune. 536 00:26:59,182 --> 00:27:02,011 And then Rob met Aaliyah 537 00:27:02,055 --> 00:27:05,711 through his manager, which... 538 00:27:05,754 --> 00:27:08,191 Aaliyah was Barry Hankerson's niece. 539 00:27:16,504 --> 00:27:18,071 R. KELLY: Right now I'm producing 540 00:27:18,114 --> 00:27:20,769 a very talented young lady, Aaliyah. 541 00:27:20,813 --> 00:27:24,686 Uh, she's real sweet. She just be chillin'. 542 00:27:24,730 --> 00:27:26,601 -Hey, Aaliyah? -AALIYAH: Yo. 543 00:27:26,645 --> 00:27:28,516 -That first verse is funky, right? -Mm-hmm. 544 00:27:28,559 --> 00:27:31,432 What I want you to do is... I want you to try to get into it 545 00:27:31,475 --> 00:27:33,303 -just a little bit more for me. -Okay. 546 00:27:33,347 --> 00:27:35,566 Just get into it a little more, make it a little more street. 547 00:27:35,610 --> 00:27:37,090 -All right? -All right. 548 00:27:37,133 --> 00:27:38,482 -You sound good, though, baby. -All right. 549 00:27:40,789 --> 00:27:43,792 Uh... very shy kid, very tomboyish. 550 00:27:43,836 --> 00:27:45,881 Glasses, braces. 551 00:27:45,925 --> 00:27:49,145 No-no swag. 552 00:27:49,189 --> 00:27:51,539 She's truly an angelic individual. 553 00:27:51,582 --> 00:27:54,585 She was truly a beautiful young lady. 554 00:27:54,629 --> 00:27:56,718 Aaliyah just needed a look. 555 00:27:56,762 --> 00:27:58,764 That's all. She just needed a little... 556 00:27:58,807 --> 00:28:00,679 a little something to spice it up. 557 00:28:00,722 --> 00:28:02,855 She was still very young. She was 12 years old. 558 00:28:02,898 --> 00:28:06,902 We taught her her street thing, we gave her her vibe. 559 00:28:06,946 --> 00:28:08,643 She went from wearing 560 00:28:08,687 --> 00:28:10,863 fitted clothes to the baggy jeans 561 00:28:10,906 --> 00:28:15,606 with the half shirts, with the baseball caps. 562 00:28:15,650 --> 00:28:18,784 We taught her how to be an artist in the sense 563 00:28:18,827 --> 00:28:21,090 of having a stage presence. 564 00:28:21,134 --> 00:28:23,353 We would sneak Aaliyah out of the hotel...[laughs] 565 00:28:23,397 --> 00:28:26,269 ...and take her all over the place. 566 00:28:26,313 --> 00:28:27,923 It was fun. 567 00:28:29,577 --> 00:28:32,101 We used to take her to my dad's house, and... 568 00:28:32,145 --> 00:28:34,277 we'd dance and sing in the living room. 569 00:28:36,976 --> 00:28:40,109 Aaliyah became very close with Tia and myself. 570 00:28:40,153 --> 00:28:42,242 We were all very close. 571 00:28:42,285 --> 00:28:44,026 She and myself had a very close-knit relationship 572 00:28:44,070 --> 00:28:45,593 and friendship. 573 00:28:45,636 --> 00:28:47,595 Those were the good old days. 574 00:28:47,638 --> 00:28:50,598 But those are the things that also... make you cry. 575 00:28:54,820 --> 00:28:56,909 TOURE: Aaliyah's first album 576 00:28:56,952 --> 00:28:58,737 is made by R. Kelly, 577 00:28:58,780 --> 00:29:00,695 and it's called Age Ain't Nothing but a Number. 578 00:29:00,739 --> 00:29:04,568 And that main... the title song, is about 579 00:29:04,612 --> 00:29:07,789 a young girl who's trying to get an older guy 580 00:29:07,833 --> 00:29:10,574 to go all the way with her. 581 00:29:10,618 --> 00:29:12,881 I mean... 582 00:29:12,925 --> 00:29:16,276 it's, it's-it's frightening and it's disgusting. 583 00:29:16,319 --> 00:29:19,192 ♪ Boy, be brave 584 00:29:19,235 --> 00:29:22,064 ♪ Don't be afraid 585 00:29:22,108 --> 00:29:27,504 ♪ 'Cause tonight we're gonna go all the way ♪ 586 00:29:27,548 --> 00:29:29,724 ♪ Age ain't nothin' but a number ♪ 587 00:29:29,768 --> 00:29:34,120 ♪ Throwin' down ain't nothin' but a thing. ♪ 588 00:29:34,163 --> 00:29:39,516 There's this young girl who's obviously not even, you know, 589 00:29:39,560 --> 00:29:41,475 barely in puberty, right? 590 00:29:41,518 --> 00:29:44,565 But there's a... there's a kind of sexuality to her 591 00:29:44,608 --> 00:29:47,350 that is part of why it worked, 592 00:29:47,394 --> 00:29:49,570 and R. Kelly used that. 593 00:29:49,613 --> 00:29:51,485 And calling it... age is just but a, you know, but a number-- 594 00:29:51,528 --> 00:29:53,792 he's playing on all of that right away, and that's a... 595 00:29:53,835 --> 00:29:55,706 "Age ain't nothing but a number" is a thing 596 00:29:55,750 --> 00:29:58,057 in the black community I've heard since I was a little boy, 597 00:29:58,100 --> 00:30:00,233 when a, when a hot young girl walks by, 598 00:30:00,276 --> 00:30:01,887 and a guy in a barbershop says that. 599 00:30:01,930 --> 00:30:05,412 "Age Ain't Nothing but a Number" is definitely 600 00:30:05,455 --> 00:30:07,936 a perfect song 601 00:30:07,980 --> 00:30:11,897 for hiding in plain sight. 602 00:30:11,940 --> 00:30:15,422 DEMETRIUS: Robert brought a beauty out of her voice 603 00:30:15,465 --> 00:30:20,340 to where she became the star that she was. 604 00:30:20,383 --> 00:30:22,559 He said he wanted her to have the best of everything. 605 00:30:22,603 --> 00:30:24,431 He said, "Man, I want to make her the biggest star 606 00:30:24,474 --> 00:30:26,215 in the world, man. Look at her. She's so..." 607 00:30:26,259 --> 00:30:27,956 She was so beautiful to him. 608 00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:29,958 And she always had him laughing. They would... 609 00:30:30,002 --> 00:30:31,873 I'm gonna just tell you. We'd go get ice cream, 610 00:30:31,917 --> 00:30:34,006 and I'm in the back, and I'm walking behind 'em all the time. 611 00:30:34,049 --> 00:30:36,486 And they... They're just so silly, man. 612 00:30:36,530 --> 00:30:38,140 [laughs] You know, they were silly. 613 00:30:40,403 --> 00:30:44,538 CRAIG: I met Aaliyah once at the studio at CRC. 614 00:30:44,581 --> 00:30:49,543 At that point, I didn't see anything, uh, unusual, 615 00:30:49,586 --> 00:30:54,200 um... except a producer working with an artist. 616 00:30:54,243 --> 00:30:58,552 LEMIEUX: It wasn't until I was maybe a teenager myself 617 00:30:58,595 --> 00:31:01,076 that it really bothered me 618 00:31:01,120 --> 00:31:04,079 just how much older he was than her. 619 00:31:04,123 --> 00:31:06,865 At the time I remember thinking, "That's not right. 620 00:31:06,908 --> 00:31:09,693 I don't have no grown man friends." Right? 621 00:31:09,737 --> 00:31:12,348 Like, I just can't wrap my brain around, like, 622 00:31:12,392 --> 00:31:15,743 having a grown-up, period, as a friend. 623 00:31:15,786 --> 00:31:17,919 You know, a babysitter or a friend of the family, 624 00:31:17,963 --> 00:31:20,661 but never being left alone in the care of a male, 625 00:31:20,704 --> 00:31:22,489 aside from my father. 626 00:31:25,231 --> 00:31:27,320 Her parents trusted. 627 00:31:27,363 --> 00:31:30,279 They trusted me. They trusted us. 628 00:31:34,153 --> 00:31:37,460 I thought they were getting closer. 629 00:31:37,504 --> 00:31:39,462 I was beginning to suspect things but didn't want to. 630 00:31:39,506 --> 00:31:40,986 So I asked Robert. I said, "Robert, man, 631 00:31:41,029 --> 00:31:42,509 what's going on, man? You ain't messing..." 632 00:31:42,552 --> 00:31:44,641 "Hell no, man. I'm not messing with Aaliyah." 633 00:31:51,561 --> 00:31:53,694 It was under talks for a long time 634 00:31:53,737 --> 00:31:56,131 about having them come up to the show. 635 00:31:56,175 --> 00:31:59,439 It was kind of like, they don't want you to talk about the age. 636 00:31:59,482 --> 00:32:01,702 They don't want you to talk about any of this stuff. 637 00:32:01,745 --> 00:32:03,617 But as a journalist, 638 00:32:03,660 --> 00:32:06,663 you kind of have to decide, are you gonna take this risk 639 00:32:06,707 --> 00:32:09,057 while this platform is in front of you 640 00:32:09,101 --> 00:32:11,190 and ask the questions that the people want to know? 641 00:32:11,233 --> 00:32:12,713 Okay, let's clear something up, 'cause, you know, 642 00:32:12,756 --> 00:32:13,932 I have been getting the rundown on the street. 643 00:32:13,975 --> 00:32:15,542 Everybody seems to think 644 00:32:15,585 --> 00:32:17,457 that y'all are either girlfriend and boyfriend, 645 00:32:17,500 --> 00:32:19,546 -or cousins, or friends. -KELLY [laughs]: Look at my man. 646 00:32:19,589 --> 00:32:22,201 Just let's... let's just get the record straight. 647 00:32:22,244 --> 00:32:23,637 We're just very close. He's my best friend. 648 00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:25,465 R. KELLY: Yeah, cool. In the whole wide world. 649 00:32:25,508 --> 00:32:28,033 -SEGAR: Now who found who? -In the whole wide world. 650 00:32:28,076 --> 00:32:31,166 TOURE: They are asked direct questions. 651 00:32:31,210 --> 00:32:34,604 "Are you guys dating?" And they would not give direct answers. 652 00:32:34,648 --> 00:32:36,911 They would both give these vague answers 653 00:32:36,955 --> 00:32:38,695 that left it all up in the air. 654 00:32:38,739 --> 00:32:40,697 So they knew this wasn't right. 655 00:32:40,741 --> 00:32:43,222 SEGAR: And for the record, you are how old? 656 00:32:43,265 --> 00:32:44,745 -That's a secret. Shh. -Uh-oh. 657 00:32:44,788 --> 00:32:47,008 A woman doesn't disclose her age, y'all. 658 00:32:47,052 --> 00:32:48,923 [laughter] 659 00:32:48,967 --> 00:32:51,534 -Keeping it under wraps. -AALIYAH: That's right. 660 00:32:51,578 --> 00:32:54,015 SEGAR: Seeing them dressed alike 661 00:32:54,059 --> 00:32:58,237 was really kind of like dangling candy in front of a baby. 662 00:32:58,280 --> 00:33:01,414 Like, this is promotion, this is a media machine. 663 00:33:01,457 --> 00:33:03,155 We're gonna work this to our benefit, 664 00:33:03,198 --> 00:33:05,113 and we're gonna toy with you, we're gonna play with you, 665 00:33:05,157 --> 00:33:07,289 and we're not gonna give you any direct answers, 666 00:33:07,333 --> 00:33:09,291 and we're gonna kind of leave you wondering, 667 00:33:09,335 --> 00:33:10,684 "Well, are they a couple?" 668 00:33:13,295 --> 00:33:15,950 We were out on the road 669 00:33:15,994 --> 00:33:18,605 with Aaliyah. 670 00:33:18,648 --> 00:33:22,478 On a tour bus, there really aren't any confined spaces. 671 00:33:22,522 --> 00:33:24,915 When you get on the bus, there are bunks. 672 00:33:24,959 --> 00:33:27,701 And so, these bunks have little curtains you can pull at night 673 00:33:27,744 --> 00:33:29,529 if you don't want anybody to see you sleeping. 674 00:33:29,572 --> 00:33:31,052 So it just so happened 675 00:33:31,096 --> 00:33:34,055 we were all laying in our bunks. 676 00:33:34,099 --> 00:33:36,666 It was... And curtains are open. 677 00:33:36,710 --> 00:33:38,364 Everybody's communicating, laughing. 678 00:33:38,407 --> 00:33:40,018 We used to play different pranks on each other. 679 00:33:40,061 --> 00:33:42,063 And, uh... 680 00:33:42,107 --> 00:33:45,023 I think it was intended to... prank time, 681 00:33:45,066 --> 00:33:48,939 when the door flew open on the bus. 682 00:33:51,551 --> 00:33:53,205 Robert was having sex with Aaliyah. 683 00:34:13,312 --> 00:34:15,314 I feel protective of Aaliyah right now, 684 00:34:15,357 --> 00:34:19,709 which is why I can't get my mouth to say... 685 00:34:23,800 --> 00:34:25,933 He destroyed a lot of people. 686 00:34:28,153 --> 00:34:30,546 Destroyed a lot of people. 687 00:34:30,590 --> 00:34:34,159 A lot of people who loved and adored him, and... 688 00:34:37,858 --> 00:34:41,296 I can't stress to you enough how... 689 00:34:41,340 --> 00:34:43,342 people are still suffering 690 00:34:43,385 --> 00:34:47,955 behind things that went on 20 years ago. 691 00:34:54,396 --> 00:34:56,746 After that, it kind of started the breakup 692 00:34:56,790 --> 00:34:59,097 of everything and everybody. 693 00:34:59,140 --> 00:35:00,663 A lot of people... 694 00:35:00,707 --> 00:35:04,363 People's emotions were challenged. 695 00:35:04,406 --> 00:35:08,323 Our whole family just kind of ripped up. 696 00:35:12,936 --> 00:35:15,025 DEMETRIUS: Robert came to me. We were in Miami. 697 00:35:17,245 --> 00:35:21,467 Robert said, "Man, we got Aaliyah in trouble." 698 00:35:23,295 --> 00:35:26,036 And, um, "Aaliyah in trouble? What do you mean?" 699 00:35:26,080 --> 00:35:27,908 "Man, we got to get to Chicago." 700 00:35:27,951 --> 00:35:31,694 I said, "Well, I'm-I'm-a call Barry and tell Barry." 701 00:35:31,738 --> 00:35:33,522 "No, man, we can't tell Barry." 702 00:35:36,699 --> 00:35:41,182 Robert mentioned to me that, um, "I think she's pregnant." 703 00:35:41,226 --> 00:35:44,446 And... that broke my heart right there. 704 00:35:44,490 --> 00:35:47,145 I was so disappointed in him, 'cause I really believed him 705 00:35:47,188 --> 00:35:48,972 when he said that, you know, 706 00:35:49,016 --> 00:35:50,626 he wasn't doing and messing with Aaliyah. 707 00:35:50,670 --> 00:35:54,761 'Cause I questioned him, and, um... 708 00:35:54,804 --> 00:35:57,764 once he told me that, I was, like... 709 00:35:57,807 --> 00:36:00,593 I just... I was... I was lost for words, man. Um... 710 00:36:02,247 --> 00:36:04,640 He married Aaliyah. 711 00:36:08,078 --> 00:36:10,733 I was in the room when they got married. 712 00:36:13,736 --> 00:36:15,956 TOURE: In 1994, I was working at MTV News 713 00:36:15,999 --> 00:36:18,480 as a writer, not on air, 714 00:36:18,524 --> 00:36:23,006 and the issue of, "Is he married to Aaliyah?" 715 00:36:23,050 --> 00:36:26,706 was-was wild and being talked about widely. 716 00:36:26,749 --> 00:36:31,537 Finally, my boss told me, "Call the Cook County Clerk's Office 717 00:36:31,580 --> 00:36:34,496 and tell them to send you the marriage certificate." 718 00:36:34,540 --> 00:36:37,673 Hip-hop star R. Kelly did indeed marry his protégée, 719 00:36:37,717 --> 00:36:39,545 the 15-year-old singer Aaliyah Haughton. 720 00:36:39,588 --> 00:36:41,111 TOURE: MTV News was the first 721 00:36:41,155 --> 00:36:42,722 to put out this marriage certificate 722 00:36:42,765 --> 00:36:44,985 on which Aaliyah had said that she was 18, 723 00:36:45,028 --> 00:36:47,640 when she's actually 15, and R. Kelly was 27, 724 00:36:47,683 --> 00:36:49,598 and they were married. 725 00:36:51,470 --> 00:36:54,690 I, uh, went, and I, um... I, um... 726 00:36:54,734 --> 00:36:56,518 I'm not proud of that. 727 00:36:56,562 --> 00:36:58,999 I forged, I had papers forged for them. 728 00:37:00,392 --> 00:37:04,265 But Aaliyah was underage. 729 00:37:04,309 --> 00:37:06,920 Got the marriage license, and we were in a hotel 730 00:37:06,963 --> 00:37:09,749 in, uh, Maywood, Illinois. 731 00:37:09,792 --> 00:37:12,708 It was just a quick little ceremony. 732 00:37:12,752 --> 00:37:15,189 Nothing elaborate; she didn't have on a white dress. 733 00:37:15,233 --> 00:37:16,930 Robert didn't have on a tux. 734 00:37:16,973 --> 00:37:18,975 Just everyday wear. 735 00:37:19,019 --> 00:37:22,457 Robert said, "I do." [laughs] 736 00:37:22,501 --> 00:37:24,590 He said, "I do." Him and Aaliyah. 737 00:37:28,811 --> 00:37:31,684 Aaliyah looked worried. 738 00:37:31,727 --> 00:37:34,600 Scared. 739 00:37:34,643 --> 00:37:37,124 [sighs] 740 00:37:37,167 --> 00:37:38,995 Worried and scared. 741 00:37:41,259 --> 00:37:44,218 I wanted so much to grab Aaliyah and talk to her. 742 00:37:44,262 --> 00:37:47,526 I wanted so much to talk to her. 743 00:37:47,569 --> 00:37:49,223 'Cause she looked at me, she gave me a look 744 00:37:49,267 --> 00:37:51,704 like she wanted me to talk to her. 745 00:37:51,747 --> 00:37:54,097 That's why I feel like I left her-- I-I failed them. 746 00:37:54,141 --> 00:37:56,317 Both of them. 747 00:37:56,361 --> 00:37:59,625 I knew that it had changed the course of everything. 748 00:38:09,896 --> 00:38:12,594 was not familiar with how the annulment happened with Aaliyah. 749 00:38:12,638 --> 00:38:15,684 I just know that it did. 750 00:38:15,728 --> 00:38:17,556 Her parents had the last say-so. 751 00:38:27,914 --> 00:38:29,829 TOURE: The Aaliyah situation, 752 00:38:29,872 --> 00:38:34,007 a lot of us kind of forgave but were kind of like, 753 00:38:34,050 --> 00:38:37,445 "That was weird, but okay. What else you got?" 754 00:38:37,489 --> 00:38:39,534 Well, they're both performers, 755 00:38:39,578 --> 00:38:42,450 and she's old beyond her years. 756 00:38:42,494 --> 00:38:44,931 And they just have that special connection. 757 00:38:44,974 --> 00:38:47,020 It didn't yet appear like 758 00:38:47,063 --> 00:38:50,328 here's a person who is a predator. 759 00:38:53,113 --> 00:38:54,680 Where was the outrage? 760 00:38:54,723 --> 00:38:56,377 Where was Essence? Where was Ebony? 761 00:38:56,421 --> 00:38:58,205 Where was the local news? Where was anyone? 762 00:38:58,248 --> 00:39:02,644 Like, why was this not, in that moment, full stop? 763 00:39:02,688 --> 00:39:08,084 Why didn't the culture say something is wrong? 764 00:39:11,000 --> 00:39:13,829 POWERS: You had this whole history 765 00:39:13,873 --> 00:39:17,093 of adult male musicians who hung out with young girls. 766 00:39:17,137 --> 00:39:19,661 Musicians who "mentor" young girls. 767 00:39:19,705 --> 00:39:22,360 You had the history of musicians who married young girl fans. 768 00:39:22,403 --> 00:39:26,364 And I think while it was disturbing to people, 769 00:39:26,407 --> 00:39:28,670 it's very easy to rationalize things 770 00:39:28,714 --> 00:39:31,238 when you're in the industry 771 00:39:31,281 --> 00:39:32,892 and you see this flourishing career, 772 00:39:32,935 --> 00:39:35,808 not only of Kelly, but of Aaliyah. 773 00:39:37,462 --> 00:39:38,811 GEORGE: If you listen to the history 774 00:39:38,854 --> 00:39:40,290 of American popular music, 775 00:39:40,334 --> 00:39:41,901 particularly rock and roll, 776 00:39:41,944 --> 00:39:44,730 there's a whole thing about underage girls 777 00:39:44,773 --> 00:39:48,037 that's a big running theme in-in so much of the songs. 778 00:39:48,081 --> 00:39:50,866 "Sweet Little Sixteen." 779 00:39:50,910 --> 00:39:54,653 There's a body of work of underage girls 780 00:39:54,696 --> 00:39:56,350 being sexual targets, 781 00:39:56,394 --> 00:39:58,439 being sexually promiscuous, being celebrated. 782 00:39:58,483 --> 00:40:02,922 POWERS: It's hard to think of a group or an artist 783 00:40:02,965 --> 00:40:05,272 who didn't pay tribute to teenage girls 784 00:40:05,315 --> 00:40:07,753 in a way that we might question today. 785 00:40:07,796 --> 00:40:09,537 Even the Beatles, you know. 786 00:40:09,581 --> 00:40:11,452 "When I Saw Her Standing There." 787 00:40:11,496 --> 00:40:13,672 "She was just 17, if you know what I mean." 788 00:40:15,717 --> 00:40:18,764 Jerry Lee Lewis famously married 789 00:40:18,807 --> 00:40:22,768 his 13-year-old cousin Myra, um, 790 00:40:22,811 --> 00:40:23,943 and they flaunted their relationship. 791 00:40:23,986 --> 00:40:24,857 That actually brought down 792 00:40:24,900 --> 00:40:26,641 his career. 793 00:40:26,685 --> 00:40:30,384 Elvis Presley was more subtle and careful 794 00:40:30,428 --> 00:40:32,908 with his teenage girlfriend Priscilla, 795 00:40:32,952 --> 00:40:36,738 who he met when he was a soldier abroad in Germany 796 00:40:36,782 --> 00:40:41,351 and whom he brought to live with him as a young teenager. 797 00:40:41,395 --> 00:40:45,312 So when you think of girls who are going to shows, 798 00:40:45,355 --> 00:40:49,229 attending concerts, becoming completely hysterical, um, 799 00:40:49,272 --> 00:40:51,492 and then meeting their heroes, 800 00:40:51,536 --> 00:40:54,060 these-- this is a situation ripe 801 00:40:54,103 --> 00:40:57,498 for, uh, men taking advantage of young girls. 802 00:41:00,762 --> 00:41:03,373 JOVANTE: Robert feels as if he's invincible. 803 00:41:03,417 --> 00:41:05,506 "I can't be touched." 804 00:41:07,465 --> 00:41:09,336 And in hindsight, in society, 805 00:41:09,379 --> 00:41:10,946 we kind of made him feel that way. 806 00:41:10,990 --> 00:41:13,253 Because he's progressively done this 807 00:41:13,296 --> 00:41:16,125 for as far back as I can remember, 808 00:41:16,169 --> 00:41:17,866 and nothing has been done about it. 809 00:41:20,129 --> 00:41:23,742 POWERS: R. Kelly created and occupied 810 00:41:23,785 --> 00:41:26,048 a position of outrageousness 811 00:41:26,092 --> 00:41:29,574 that kind of masked everything 812 00:41:29,617 --> 00:41:31,532 that was happening behind the scenes. 813 00:41:34,361 --> 00:41:35,405 CRAIG: And then, when you get that type of fame 814 00:41:35,449 --> 00:41:37,059 and that type of power, 815 00:41:37,103 --> 00:41:39,714 and you come from nothing and you know nothing, 816 00:41:39,758 --> 00:41:42,587 and all you know is that everyone around you is "yes" 817 00:41:42,630 --> 00:41:45,024 and "okay," "sure," 818 00:41:45,067 --> 00:41:47,026 and you have everything at your beck and call, 819 00:41:47,069 --> 00:41:48,897 you kind of lose perspective of reality. 820 00:41:54,337 --> 00:41:56,557 DR. JODY ADEWALE: Oftentimes, perpetrators 821 00:41:56,601 --> 00:42:00,082 will be so brave to say, "I'm gonna let the world know. 822 00:42:00,126 --> 00:42:01,606 "I'm gonna let everyone see what's going on, 823 00:42:01,649 --> 00:42:03,085 and you'd better not say anything." 824 00:42:06,741 --> 00:42:09,091 That speaks to the amount of control 825 00:42:09,135 --> 00:42:13,095 an individual might have over another person. 826 00:42:13,139 --> 00:42:16,403 CRAIG: I went to a few parties at Rob's house. 827 00:42:16,446 --> 00:42:18,318 One particular time I was there, 828 00:42:18,361 --> 00:42:20,581 I went down to the studio. 829 00:42:20,625 --> 00:42:23,062 There was a girl standing next to Rob, 830 00:42:23,105 --> 00:42:25,325 and she was naked and he was feeling on her booty. 831 00:42:25,368 --> 00:42:27,849 Um... 832 00:42:30,504 --> 00:42:34,203 You have a big star. 833 00:42:34,247 --> 00:42:38,033 That is part of the lifestyle. 834 00:42:38,077 --> 00:42:42,777 But when you see that there are girls there that look young, 835 00:42:42,821 --> 00:42:45,432 it becomes very questionable to me. 836 00:42:45,475 --> 00:42:48,043 And I didn't check IDs and didn't ask for IDs, 837 00:42:48,087 --> 00:42:52,744 but you can clearly see that these were babies in my eyes. 838 00:42:52,787 --> 00:42:56,399 And that was something that I didn't want to be around. 839 00:42:59,272 --> 00:43:02,362 [crowd cheering] 840 00:43:02,405 --> 00:43:04,799 CAREY: When I was out there on tour with him, 841 00:43:04,843 --> 00:43:07,454 he had a lot of guys that, you know, would pretty much, 842 00:43:07,497 --> 00:43:10,239 you know, if-if he say, 843 00:43:10,283 --> 00:43:12,067 "Go get some girls from the mall," 844 00:43:12,111 --> 00:43:13,634 they'll go get some girls. 845 00:43:13,678 --> 00:43:15,941 You look at the people around somebody, 846 00:43:15,984 --> 00:43:17,943 and it's very upsetting 847 00:43:17,986 --> 00:43:21,555 that he really didn't have to do much 848 00:43:21,599 --> 00:43:23,165 to get these young girls. 849 00:43:25,080 --> 00:43:26,429 Oh, we'd always go to the mall, too. 850 00:43:26,473 --> 00:43:27,996 We'd go in the mall in every city. 851 00:43:28,040 --> 00:43:29,607 We're just chilling. 852 00:43:29,650 --> 00:43:30,999 We're gonna go to the mall today. 853 00:43:31,043 --> 00:43:32,087 We're gonna try to keep it low-key. 854 00:43:32,131 --> 00:43:33,567 We'll see what happens. 855 00:43:41,140 --> 00:43:43,055 LIZZETTE: My name is Lizzette Martinez, 856 00:43:43,098 --> 00:43:44,883 from Sunny Isles Beach, Florida. 857 00:43:46,493 --> 00:43:49,278 I was a typical teenager. 858 00:43:49,322 --> 00:43:52,194 I was at Aventura Mall with some girlfriends, 859 00:43:52,238 --> 00:43:54,762 and, uh, I see someone. 860 00:43:54,806 --> 00:43:57,156 A really tall guy wearing sunglasses. 861 00:43:57,199 --> 00:44:00,159 So I said to my friend, 862 00:44:00,202 --> 00:44:02,683 "Oh, I think that's R. Kelly." 863 00:44:02,727 --> 00:44:04,685 And she's like, "Why would he be at the mall?" 864 00:44:04,729 --> 00:44:07,296 And I said, "No, that's him." 865 00:44:07,340 --> 00:44:09,037 And he heard me, 866 00:44:09,081 --> 00:44:11,692 and then he turned around, 867 00:44:11,736 --> 00:44:13,651 and I was kind of starstruck, you know. 868 00:44:13,694 --> 00:44:15,261 Here's this person in front of me 869 00:44:15,304 --> 00:44:17,785 that I think is, like, the world. 870 00:44:17,829 --> 00:44:20,005 And he walked up to me and gave me a hug, 871 00:44:20,048 --> 00:44:22,877 and I kind of, like, just... I was kind of frozen. 872 00:44:22,921 --> 00:44:25,967 And then he said he was recording an album. 873 00:44:26,011 --> 00:44:28,491 I said, "Okay, nice to meet you." And he left. 874 00:44:28,535 --> 00:44:30,580 But then his bodyguard came back 875 00:44:30,624 --> 00:44:32,800 and handed me his phone number 876 00:44:32,844 --> 00:44:35,455 and said, "R. Kelly would like you to call him." 877 00:44:37,152 --> 00:44:39,328 My best friend was with me, 878 00:44:39,372 --> 00:44:41,983 and she said, "Liz, this is your big break. 879 00:44:42,027 --> 00:44:44,116 Like, you better call, or I'm gonna call for you." 880 00:44:44,159 --> 00:44:46,727 For me, singing was always an outlet, 881 00:44:46,771 --> 00:44:48,468 and I planned on having a career. 882 00:44:48,511 --> 00:44:51,601 So I called and he said, 883 00:44:51,645 --> 00:44:55,518 "Well, I'd like you to come to dinner with us." 884 00:44:55,562 --> 00:44:58,043 My girlfriend said, "Let's get your makeup and hair done now. 885 00:44:58,086 --> 00:45:00,436 You know, this is it. You're gonna make it." 886 00:45:00,480 --> 00:45:03,178 We were so naive. 887 00:45:09,271 --> 00:45:12,274 LIZZETTE: His bodyguard handed me his phone number and said, 888 00:45:12,318 --> 00:45:13,885 "R. Kelly would like you to call him." 889 00:45:15,408 --> 00:45:19,804 So we met him at the steakhouse. 890 00:45:19,847 --> 00:45:22,328 It came up that I was, you know, an aspiring singer. 891 00:45:22,371 --> 00:45:25,940 Later on, we went to the recording studio, 892 00:45:25,984 --> 00:45:27,899 and my heart was thumping when I walked in. 893 00:45:27,942 --> 00:45:31,903 And he starts to play the piano. 894 00:45:31,946 --> 00:45:33,992 He plays a song by Boyz II Men 895 00:45:34,035 --> 00:45:35,602 and asked me to sing along with it. 896 00:45:35,645 --> 00:45:37,735 And I couldn't believe it. 897 00:45:37,778 --> 00:45:40,955 I mean, I'm sitting with R. Kelly. 898 00:45:40,999 --> 00:45:45,438 I'm 17, and he's right here, singing. 899 00:45:45,481 --> 00:45:47,092 I just couldn't believe it. 900 00:45:47,135 --> 00:45:50,791 I don't even know what to say. 901 00:45:50,835 --> 00:45:53,620 And then he just said that, you know, I sound really great. 902 00:45:53,663 --> 00:45:56,057 Had a great look. 903 00:45:56,101 --> 00:45:59,669 He thought I could make it and he was gonna help me. 904 00:45:59,713 --> 00:46:02,977 And then he leaned over and kissed me. 905 00:46:05,327 --> 00:46:08,896 And I was really, uh, taken aback by that. 906 00:46:08,940 --> 00:46:12,552 I didn't know how to say no. 907 00:46:12,595 --> 00:46:17,122 All of a sudden, his tongue is in my mouth. 908 00:46:17,165 --> 00:46:19,080 This is my dream. 909 00:46:20,865 --> 00:46:23,824 How do I handle this? 910 00:46:23,868 --> 00:46:26,479 I wanted the dream so bad, 911 00:46:26,522 --> 00:46:30,004 but I knew it was gonna be something else. 912 00:46:35,444 --> 00:46:38,186 I knew it was gonna be something else. 913 00:46:46,151 --> 00:46:49,632 JERHONDA: I met R. Kelly by going to his trial, 914 00:46:49,676 --> 00:46:51,721 and I didn't want to believe that he was guilty. 915 00:46:51,765 --> 00:46:55,160 LIZZETTE: Sex with him always felt 916 00:46:55,203 --> 00:46:57,423 not natural. 917 00:46:57,466 --> 00:46:59,817 ANDREA: You fall in love with the charmer, 918 00:46:59,860 --> 00:47:01,427 and then slowly 919 00:47:01,470 --> 00:47:02,950 he lets the other one creep in. 920 00:47:02,994 --> 00:47:05,431 ♪ 921 00:47:05,474 --> 00:47:08,826 There's a difference between R. Kelly and Robert. 922 00:47:08,869 --> 00:47:12,394 R. Kelly's this fun, laughing, loving guy. 923 00:47:12,438 --> 00:47:14,309 But Robert... 924 00:47:14,353 --> 00:47:17,269 [echoing]: is the devil, is the devil, is the devil. 925 00:47:17,312 --> 00:47:19,271 LEGEND: R. Kelly has brought 926 00:47:19,314 --> 00:47:20,838 so much pain to so many people. 927 00:47:20,881 --> 00:47:23,231 This sickness lived within him. 928 00:47:23,275 --> 00:47:24,711 Spotify is saying, basically, 929 00:47:24,754 --> 00:47:26,147 they're gonna, like, downgrade him. 930 00:47:26,191 --> 00:47:27,888 ANDREA: He's a control freak. 931 00:47:27,932 --> 00:47:29,629 MISS INFO: He's the puppet master. 932 00:47:29,672 --> 00:47:31,587 CRAIG: There's girls in every room. 933 00:47:31,631 --> 00:47:33,198 What the hell is going on? 934 00:47:33,241 --> 00:47:36,244 ♪ 935 00:47:36,288 --> 00:47:39,900 TARANA BURKE: This is really about an adult man who is using 936 00:47:39,944 --> 00:47:42,685 the power of his fame and wealth and whatever 937 00:47:42,729 --> 00:47:45,514 to systematically degrade black girls. 938 00:47:45,558 --> 00:47:48,778 JERHONDA: He became more abusive and more aggressive. 939 00:47:48,822 --> 00:47:51,259 KANIKA: He just started kicking me and slapping me. 940 00:47:51,303 --> 00:47:53,783 -[sobbing] -It's okay, baby. It's okay. 941 00:47:53,827 --> 00:47:55,742 ♪ 942 00:47:57,570 --> 00:47:59,572 D.A.: Mr. Kelly has been indicted. 943 00:47:59,615 --> 00:48:01,748 There's been a warrant issued for his arrest. 944 00:48:01,791 --> 00:48:03,271 A lot of people saw that pee tape. 945 00:48:03,315 --> 00:48:04,533 It was circulating in the streets. 946 00:48:04,577 --> 00:48:06,666 She was actually 14. 947 00:48:06,709 --> 00:48:08,929 ORONIKE: And he's urinating on her in her mouth. 948 00:48:08,973 --> 00:48:11,845 He was not thought of as guilty, 949 00:48:11,889 --> 00:48:13,891 even though the evidence was there. 950 00:48:13,934 --> 00:48:16,850 I should have never introduced her to him. 951 00:48:16,894 --> 00:48:19,897 I should have never introduced my family to him. 952 00:48:21,811 --> 00:48:23,596 MAN: There she go. 953 00:48:28,296 --> 00:48:29,297 MICHELLE: I said, "R. Kelly, 954 00:48:29,341 --> 00:48:30,690 "I want you to remember my name. 955 00:48:30,733 --> 00:48:31,865 Okay?" 956 00:48:36,478 --> 00:48:38,741 "Stay the [bleep] away from my daughter." 957 00:48:38,785 --> 00:48:42,571 CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY A+E NETWORKS