Jada Pinkett Smith Wants Answers After R. Kelly’s Sales Reportedly Spike Despite Disturbing Documentary

Jada Pinkett Smith is the latest celebrity to sound off on R. Kelly following the conclusion of Lifetime’s six-part documentary series, “Surviving R. Kelly.”

The shocking documentary detailed the stories of numerous women who have accused Kelly of keeping them isolated from their families in a controlling environment that’s frequently been described as cult-like. The series brought to the forefront once again the disturbing claims that have been tied to Kelly’s name for decades, and have led many, including actress and talk show host Jada Pinkett Smith, wondering why Kelly continues to enjoy a lucrative career in the music industry.

Pinkett Smith recently read that Kelly’s sales and streaming numbers have “spiked substantially” since the release of the documentary and she admitted that she’s having a “really difficult time understanding why" in a video shared on Twitter on Sunday.

She may have been referring to The Blast’s Friday report that a Spotify spokesperson confirmed that Kelly’s streaming numbers have increased by 16 percent following the premiere of the documentary’s first part.

She continued, “But I think it’s important that I understand why. I really would like for you guys to help me understand what I’m missing.”

“Even if I’m missing something that I don’t necessarily agree with. I just want to understand what I’m missing. So if you could sound off below, that’d be great. And we could continue the conversation Wednesday at 5 p.m. Pacific Time on our Facebook Live,” she said, suggesting that she may be planning to discuss Kelly during the next episode of her Facebook Live talk show “Red Table Talk,” which she co-hosts with her daughter, Willow Smith, and her mother, Adrienne Banfield-Jones. New episodes typically premiere on Wednesdays.

Pinkett Smith ended her video by voicing what others in “Surviving R. Kelly” theorized — that Kelly has been able to escape the consequences of his alleged actions because he has primarily targeted black girls and women. Black women are subjected to psychological abuse and sexual violence at higher rates than women overall, according to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research.

“And I really don’t want to believe that it’s because black girls don’t matter enough. Or is that the reason?” Pinkett Smith said. “So let me know. Happy Sunday.”

The 51-year-old singer, born Robert Sylvester Kelly, has reportedly threatened to sue Lifetime for airing the documentary, which includes a number of disturbing claims, including that Kelly had sex with late singer Aaliyah when she was 15 years old, and that Kelly’s inner circle has enabled his systematic abuse of young women for years.

Kelly’s camp is planning to respond to the doc by launching a new website targeting his accusers called “Surviving Lies,” TMZ reports. The website has yet to go live, but the Facebook page argues that Kelly is the victim of a “conspiracy” and claims that Asante McGee and Faith Rodgers, two of Kelly’s accusers, are lying.

[Photo: Getty Images]