Lifetime’s documentary series Surviving R. Kelly made major waves when it aired on Jan. 3, and now, HollywoodLife has EXCLUSIVELY learned what it meant for the rapper’s music moving forward. According to sources close to The Voice and American Idol, his tracks are being nixed from both of the fan favorite music competition shows! “Producers are now actively making sure that songs that were performed by R. Kelly will not be a part of the show anymore in any way,” our source shares. “A lot of times, “I Believe I Can Fly” has been an option and staple for performers to sing in auditions, and on the show itself, or his songs have been used as background for a vignette, but that is not going to be the case anymore,” the source continues. “They understand that this might cause a whole different dialog with other artists that have been in trouble or will be in trouble, but they are actively making sure that R. Kelly will not be a part of the future of their shows.” HollywoodLife has reached out to reps for both shows for comment.
The news doesn’t exactly comes as a surprise, given that John Legend is set to be a coach on season 16 of The Voice. The musician was one of the true few to appear in the shocking documentary, and he slammed Kelly’s actions, labeling him a “serial child rapist.” While people thanked John for his bravery, the singer claimed that for him – it was a no brainer. “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 f**k about protecting a serial child rapist. Easy decision,” he wrote on Twitter. Other stars such as Ne-Yo, Cara Delevigne, and Lady Gaga, also joined in the #MuteRKelly movement.
We can hardly blame the producers and networks behind both shows. Anyone playing his music is treading on treacherous territory, and we saw a prime example of that when fans attacked Little Mix’s Jesy Nelson, 27, for her continued support of his music. The girl group member shared a snippet of herself singing and dancing to Kelly’s well-known track, “Ignition,” and Twitter was NOT having it. A series of vicious tweets swarmed her feed, and it looks like fans are ready to cancel Kelly’s listeners just as quickly as they cancelled him. For shows such as The Voice and American Idol, it sounds like it’s a path they’re not willing to walk down.