R. Kelly’s ex-wife is threatening to sue Lifetime network bosses after objecting to the use of her image in promotional footage for a Surviving R. Kelly documentary sequel.
Dancer/actress Andrea Kelly, aka Drea, was among the first wave of women to feature in season one of the Lifetime docuseries, which premiered earlier this year (19), when she came forward with allegations of domestic and emotional abuse against the embattled hitmaker.
Producers have since teased the second installment of the show, titled ‘Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning,’ by releasing the first official trailer this week, but Drea was not happy to see her face featured in the promo, which uses some footage from the first season – because she was not involved in the latest project.
On Wednesday, a representative for Drea issued a statement to TMZ, declaring, “She has no involvement, did not approve any footage or stills of her likeness and is not actively promoting, nor consulting (on) the follow-up series.”
She has since spoken out directly about the misleading trailer, explaining she declined to take part in the sequel because she was unhappy with the way Lifetime executives had handled a number of issues following the initial docuseries, including the lack of support for the women interviewed onscreen.
Drea tells TMZ Live she specifically requested not to be linked to Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning, but claims Lifetime officials ignored her wishes – and now she wants to take legal action.
“When they brought the idea to me, I let them know that in no way, shape, form or fashion will I be a part of it,” she states.
“They have a lawsuit coming their way,” she added.
Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning debuts on January 2, 2020.
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