Lifetime will air the first episode of the Surviving R. Kelly docu-series on Thursday (January 3). According to People, former backup singer Jovante Cunningham opens up about what it was like touring with the R&B star and recalls a particular incident involving a then-15-year-old Aaliyah.
Cunningham alleges she walked in on Kelly having sex with the underaged artist.
“We were out on the road with Aaliyah,” she says in the clip. “On a tour bus, there really aren’t many confined spaces. When you get on the bus there are bunks and so these bunks have little curtains you can pull at night if you don’t want anybody to see you sleeping.
“So it just so happened we were all laying in our bunks and the curtains are open, everybody’s communicating, laughing. When the [room] door flew open on the bus. Robert was having sex with Aaliyah.”
When pressed for details, Cunningham says she saw “things that an adult should not be doing with a child.”
Kelly is often credited for jumpstarting the late singer’s career, but their relationship is shrouded in controversy. Kelly and Aaliyah were rumored to have gotten married when she was just 15 years old. They allegedly had documents drawn up to falsely show Aaliyah was 18.
Kelly’s former personal assistant Demetrius Smith claims he was at the wedding and admits he helped obtain those documents. He also believes she was pregnant at the time.
“Robert came to me, we were in Miami,” Smith says. “Robert said, ‘Man we got Aaliyah in trouble’. Robert mentioned to me that ‘I think she’s pregnant’. That broke my heart right there because I really believed him when he said that he wasn’t messing with Aaliyah … Once he told me that I was at a loss for words.
“I was in the room when they got married. I’m not proud of that. I had papers forged for them when Aaliyah was underaged. It was just a quick little ceremony, she didn’t have on a white dress he didn’t have on a tux. Just every day wear. She looked worried and scared.”
Ultimately, the marriage was annulled. Although Aayliah’s career continued to soar, it was tragically cut short in 2001 when she was killed in a plane crash at just 22.
Over the past year, Kelly has been accused of running a sex cult and having several inappropriate sexual relationships. Surviving R. Kelly will dive into the allegations and feature several of his alleged victims. [apple_news_ad type=”any”]
Someone needs to really finally put a bullet in this pedophiles head. Also the people who try to defend this sick fuck need to kill theyselves
Yo
Jay-Z: Born 1969
Beyonce: Born 1981
R. Kelly: Born 1967
Aaliyah: Born 1979
Do the math.
Now shut the fuck up.
It’s too much favoritism in this world today.
Was Beyonce 15 when they got together? Is Jay-Z STILL out here fucking underage girls???
Now I don’t know that man from adam but do YOU HONESTLY think that with the wealth and access he has to so many women in the world that he’s specifically targeting minors (given his prior history)??? and let’s be clear Hov was eyeing B since she made the cameo in that “I’m missing you” video by Case when she was 16/17…but that’s not a factor because y’all worship them!!
A man touching and fucking a child is a problem because a child cannot support/or defend their selves. I lost my virginity at 16 to a girl that was 15 and she had partners already. Y’all know how it is out here…I’m not saying that its right but don’t do no witch hunt on people when its still going down.
@“peace” You’re a fucking idiot. You were both kids. This is about a man and a kid you fucking pedophile. You need to register as a sex offender
Direct all that energy someone where else my man. What I look like going back and forth with you on a chat/comment forum??? Cut it out!!! The point I’m trying to make is that it was consensual. Like it or not they were married. Her parents were aware/involved (signatures). Maybe we differ in views in regards to a kid/child. You can’t be out in the street as a child bussing plays and making moves. A 16 years old girl is well aware of her body and what she can do with it – It’s a moral code at the end of the day. I myself was a victim of that an older girl while I was a kid so its a topic that hits home – trust. To this day I have a 2 years older/younger rule…but lets be serious we cannot continue to demonize the man forever. Women want to fuck him. Period. It’s a lot of wild shit going on in the world today. Men are turning into women (vica versa) and y’all support it so cut it out and Happy New Year. God bless.
A child cant legally consent stupid
He was fucking Foxxy when she was 16. You gonna get rid of all his albums? People are selective hypocrites.
Beyonce was 20 and not a child when she began seeing Jay
Huge difference is Jay-Z met Beyonce in 2001 when she was 20 years old. R Kelly met Aaliyah in 1993 when she was 14. Now you shut the fuck up. OVOXO
R kelly married a 15yo and some people choose to look the other way about that shit……..disgusting.
Marvin Gaye married a 16 year old. Your point is? Aaliyah and her parents were cool with it at the time, so why are you worried about it. People outraged over Aaliyah always kill me because they know they don’t really give a fuck about her, they just want to seem outraged over something that was none of their business.
Listen you fucking weirdo, it’s about MORALS, HE MARRIED A CHILD. CHILDREN AREN’T OLD ENOUGH TO CONSENT. Just because Marvin Gaye or anyone else did it doesn’t condone it either dumbass. What is it about an adult marrying/fucking a child that you don’t seem to get, ITS FUCKED UP. Who gives a shit what her parents did, no normal parents would have done that. “Oh hey here you go R.Kelly, you can have our child”….that makes everything alright I guess???….Stfu u sick fuck. The more you keep trying to justify pedophelia the more you’re showing your true colors you twisted fuck.
Dumb fuck. It’s none of your business. All kinds of shit goes on in the world that isn’t right. It’s none of your fucking business. Bringing up something that happened 25 years ago that everybody in the world knew about when the woman has been dead 17 years serves no purpose. It’s fuck shit for fuck boys like you to feel good about yourself. There are actual girls that got kidnapped or worse who weren’t well aware of what they were doing like Aaliyah and like her parents right now getting sex trafficked that you could be out here helping, but this dumb shit makes you feel good about yourself while you sit on your bitch ass talking doing absolutely nothing.
That’s definitely you R. kelly. No normal person condones child abuse. Your day is coming motherfucker
It couldn’t be R.Kelly his dumbass can’t read or write this is a totally unrelated scumbag.
Ok well definitely another pedo then
You are wildly autistic
She needs to kill that shit. Aaliyah has been dead almost 20 years. Why are you bringing this shit up now?
So what? If someone’s dead then people shouldn’t hear if she was abused by a scumbag? Sex with a minor is statutory ra pe. Judging by your fucked comments on here, you’re either R.Kelly, one of his team or a child abuser too. You really want these stories to go away don’t you?? Loser.
No dumb fuck. What purpose does it serve but to slander the dead? Everybody knows what happened. Everybody knew what happened when it was going on, but this is making you feel better to talk about a dead woman?
Nobody is slandering the dead. Aaliyah was a victim of a paedophile. We are talking about the pedo r kelly and his sympathizers ie. you.
There are actual little girls out here who somebody kidnapped or preyed on in fucked up situations that are getting sex trafficked in the here and now in 2019 that you could be out here trying to help, but your hoe ass on here telling everybody you’re outraged about what a dead woman did 25 years ago with R. Kelly. Yep but I’m the one that needs help. Put your money where your mouth is bitch boy and go do something or these real victims today. Under aged sex trafficking is a real problem today. Do something and stop running your dicksucker about history and slandering dead people.
As long as he’s breathing he’s still a huge danger to kids fucktard. I actually think that’s you R kelly writing these fucked up pro-pedo comments. Go find a nice tall building and jump from that shit
Stop talking about the dead
Yep. This seems hard for some people to grasp. This hoe talking about this shit glosses over that she was there and kept cashing the checks. Does anyone ask her why? No, but it’s cool to talk about Aaliyah when she’s not here to speak for herself.
Silent_partner is a pedophile
No, your Pops is since he had you sucking his dick every night. Little punk bitch.
U mad somebody called u out on your shit? U all over these comments making excuses for a chomo. Bitch sit the fuck back down and stfu. Nobody listening to your bulkshit.
Does anyone expect a show named “surviving r Kelly” to be fair and balanced?
He married a kid when she was only 15. Was also caught with child porn but got off on a technicality because of a bad warrant. The facts are there for everyone to see. Only a real piece of shit would try and defend this guy.
Read my comment again. Did I defend him?
If people actually want a criminal to be brought to justice, then an unbalanced assassination style documentary is not the right way to go about it. That kind of bullshit will actually provoke a lot of people to come to the criminal’s defense.
Wise up. Peace.
He married her when she was 15?? WTF?? My daughter is nearly 15 and that makes me physically sick.
I’d brain damage this mf if he came at one of my kids.
Okay lets be honest this is not unheard of people got married with this age gap in the past and this was accepted! ??
Are you Nicki Minaj by any chance? This isn’t an age gap between adults. She was a 15 yet old country old child and he met her at 14. He’s a paedophile. Wake the fuck up you idiot. I hope to god you don’t have kids.
R kelly is a predator no doubt
but i find it disgusting how all of a sudden these people remember “a scared Aaliyah” or were shocked by the behavior
These guys are as guilty and they were ok with it …even the media is guilty .I remember Aaliyah and R. Kelly doing an interview with mtv and the host asked them if they are involved while everybody in the audience cheered
Now they are all coming together to point at R. Kelly
We need a documentary that will also highlight the names of people who helped him,they are more than just witnesses
At the end of the day it’s got nothing to do with anyone except R.Kelly himself. This wouldn’t even be a story if HE didn’t groom Aaliyah from the age of 14. This is all from him preying on kids.
Don’t come out now if you didn’t say shit when it was happening, you have zero credibility.
I say they have tons of credibility going off this dudes fucked up life
When I find out the IP address of the paedophile on here who’s defending a child abuser, I’m gonna break your fucking neck.
All these women were fucking RKelly with no problem back in the 90s… Now they want to complain.. WTF
It’s all about dough man….Sure R. Kelly was messing with an underage girl, man this shit has been going on since the beginning of time. I’m not justifying it, I’m just justifying the fact that R. Kelly ain’t did shit under the sun that a bunch of men, and women, have done. But they’re coming after his money. Or what little he has left.
Ok but they didn’t say anything so they contributed to his sick ass
Aaliyah was fine as hell. Still is finer than most these fake chics today. Taken away too soon. Ahead of her time. RIP baby.
look i understand that what he did was wrong but come on! the MFs could’ve spoken up when the shit happened not decades later! and that’s why everyone that’s going to be on this doc will be fake AF…
these bird heads should be treated the same way the coaches at Penn state were treated after Sandusky. Speaking up decades later is disgusting. Dont try to stand on a soap box and act like you’re doing something noble by speaking out when you stayed quiet for 20 years.