The premiere of the controversial Surviving R. Kelly documentary reportedly encouraged survivors to share their experiences.
The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) sexual abuse hotline experienced a 27 percent surge of calls when the documentary premiered on Thursday night, reports The Daily Beast.
A RAINN spokesman said call increases are common when a major sexual abuse story enters the news cycle. There was a whopping 147 percent increase during the Brett Kavanaugh hearings. Kavanaugh, now a U.S. Supreme Court justice, was accused of rape.
Unfortunately, the Pied Piper’s music streams also received a boost following the airing of the documentary, according to The Blast. A Spotify spokesperson said streams of “Ignition” increased by 16 percent.
As Blavity reported, the streaming service attempted stop promoting the singer’s music because of his “hateful conduct” in June 2018, but reversed its decision after outcry from R. Kelly fans.
“While we believe our intentions were good, the language was too vague, we created confusion and concern, and didn’t spend enough time getting input from our own team and key partners before sharing new guidelines,” Spotify said at the time.
The documentary investigates the numerous allegations of abuse Kelly faces, including claims he has raped children. As Blavity has reported, a number of women have alleged Kelly brainwashed them into joining a sex cult he led. His brother claims Kelly molested their 14-year-old cousin, and the artist's ex-wife alleges their marriage was marred by years of physical and emotional abuse.
Kelly had denied any and all wrongdoing.
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