Sex Abuse Hotline Calls Surge During Lifetime’s ‘Surviving R.Kelly’
The airing of Lifetime’s three-part series on the sexual misconduct allegations against musician R. Kelly provoked a public outpouring of anger and disgust. More quietly, it also appears to have moved some sexual abuse survivors to reach out for help.
The National Sexual Assault Hotline saw a substantial increase in calls when Surviving R. Kelly premiered on Thursday night, a RAINN spokesperson told The Daily Beast. The hotline, which connects survivors to emotional support, information and resources, received 27 percent more calls than the same time period the week before.
Hotline traffic frequently increases when sexual abuse is in the news, according to the organization. RAINN saw an 147 percent increase in calls when Christine Blasey Ford testified against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in September, and 33 percent more after the release of Donald Trump’s infamous Access Hollywood tape in 2016.