R. Kelly Reportedly Suffering Panic Attacks After 'Surviving R. Kelly' Documentary

R. Kelly’s streaming numbers may be up, but the man himself is apparently feeling the effects of Lifetime’s “Surviving R. Kelly” docu-series in the form of intense panic attacks, anonymous sources have claimed.

The 51-year-old singer first began experiencing panic attacks in the days preceding the documentary’s premiere, a source close to the singer told TMZ. The attacks persisted as the six-part docu-series concluded and Kelly became the center of intense backlash, according to the outlet. Kelly has reportedly had doctors make house calls, and has experienced one attack in particular that led him to seek treatment at a hospital, per TMZ. 

Kelly, who was famously accused of having sex on tape with an underage girl in 2002 but was ultimately acquitted of all charges, has long been the subject of abuse and sexual misconduct accusations. The Lifetime docu-seires compiled decades of those allegations, including the infamous “sex cult” claims that were detailed in a shocking Buzzfeed report in 2017, and reignited public interest in Kelly — and police interest, as well.

Authorities in Georgia have launched a criminal investigation into Kelly and prosecutors in Chicago, after publicly calling for victims and witnesses to come forward, may soon follow suit. Angelo Clary, a man who has long claimed that his daughter Azriel Clary is trapped in Kelly's alleged cult, has also urged officials in Florida to investigate Kelly.

Consequences for Kelly continue to pile up. A judge in Cook County granted an emergency motion allowing the city’s inspectors to enter Kelly’s Near West Side recording studio on Wednesday to investigate whether or not the disgraced singer has engaged in any building code violations, the Chicago Tribune reports. The motion was prompted by an anonymous tip that people may be living in the studio, even though it is zoned for commercial use only, according to the outlet.

The building’s owner is also seeking to evict Kelly for failing to pay rent, according to a separate suit obtained by the Tribune.

Kelly is reportedly planning to fire back at the numerous women who detailed their accusations in the Lifetime documentary by launching a “Surviving Lies” website that will reportedly expose his accusers. (The Facebook page of the same name was quickly shut down for smearing Kelly’s accusers and violating Facebook’s standards.)

Numerous celebrities took to social media to publicly condemn Kelly after watching the documentary. His daughter, Buku Abi, born Joann Kelly, referred to him a “monster” in a lengthy social media statement earlier this week. She stated that neither she nor her siblings and mother Andrea Kelly — who detailed the abuse she allegedly endured during her 13-year marriage to Kelly in the Lifetime doc— have had any contact with Kelly in years.

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