John Legend on Supporting Surviving R. Kelly Doc: "Don't give a f*ck about protecting a serial child rapist"

The first two parts of the Surviving R. Kelly docu-series aired on Thursday night on Lifetime (watch them here) which put focus on the controversial singer’s abusive behavior spanning almost two decades.

Kendrick Lamar Shakes Up The Super Bowl With Bold Drake Diss And Surprise Guests

Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl 59 halftime performance was nothing short of legendary, leaving fans buzzing with surprise cameos and bold moments that took his long-running feud with Drake to new heights. Kicking off with an unreleased song snippet and followed by “Squabble Up” from his latest album GNX, Kendrick immediately set the tone for a game-changing performance. Fans eagerly waited to see if Kendrick would play his diss track Not Like Us, especially with Drake's ongoing lawsuit against him and his label for defamation and harassment. Lamar's performance included an unexpected appearance by SZA and a quirky cameo from Serena Williams, along with Samuel L. Jackson’s comedic interruptions, all building the suspense around the Drake drama. In the middle of his performance, Kendrick turned up the heat, looking straight into the camera and directly addressing Drake with his famous lyrics, “I heard you like them young," as fans held their breath. Despite the tension, Kendrick censored himself when it came time to call Drake a "certified lover boy" and avoided saying “pedophile,” which had been widely speculated. Social media lit up with mixed reactions, with some fans mocking the performance as a "mid mashup" and others noting the intense hostility toward Drake. With the hashtag #KendrickBowl trending, it’s clear that Kendrick’s performance was a cultural moment that pushed boundaries—but has he gone too far, or is this just another chapter in hip-hop history? Only time will tell, and Drake has yet to respond.

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“The first time I witnessed a sexual act in the studio was during the recording of (Kelly’s song) ‘Slow Dance (Remix).’ He had one of my teenage friends in the booth with him, bent over. We were all right there. I will not say with whom, but I knew she was underage,” the veteran’s former backup singer Jovante Cunningham narrated a harrowing story on camera. It also featured more similar tales from colleagues, former employees and others including Kelly’s ex-wife Andrea Kelly and his former girlfriend Kitti Jones.

Executive producer Dream Hampton claimed that stars like Jay-Z, Lady Gaga, Mary J. Blige, Lil’ Kim, Celine Dion and comedian Dave Chappelle
refused to be a part of the series. In light of the same, social media showered John Legend with praises last night as he is one of the very few celebrities who has agreed to appear on the documentary. The singer responded to the tweets in a single one, saying that it was an easy decision for him as he did not give a f*ck about protecting a “serial child rapist.”

To everyone telling me how courageous I am for appearing in the doc, it didn't feel risky at all. I believe these women and don't give a fuck about protecting a serial child rapist. Easy decision.
— John Legend (@johnlegend) January 4, 2019

He also lauded the effort of A Long Walk Home, a non profit which has been working for and giving voices to the survivors for years.

Also I'm happy to support the work of people like my friends at @ALongWalkHome who have been speaking out on behalf of the survivors for a long time.
— John Legend (@johnlegend) January 4, 2019