Learning about the crimes of Robert Sylvester Kelly is a gruelling experience for even the most unflappable among us. Anyone susceptible to being triggered by sexual abuse, violence and child cruelty should give the subject the widest of berths. But after two seasons of unflinchingly charting allegations of decades of horrific abuse enacted by R Kelly, the tone of Netflix’s third season is markedly different from what came before: it is joyful, at times bordering on giddy. The R&B megastar was found guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking in 2021 and faces trial for two more charges in Minnesota and 10 in Illinois. This is no longer just about survival – it’s a victory lap.
The programme does not understate its impact and begins with a montage of politicians and celebrities referencing it. At its most deliciously smug moment, it even shows footage of Kelly and his lawyers freaking out about the documentary, calling the creators and subject liars and fruitlessly mocking their campaign. Oronike Odeleye, co-founder of Mute R Kelly, grins from ear to ear as she talks about being sent the footage by those who thought it was “outrageous”, but she would respond: “No, it’s wonderful. This is beautiful. He knows who we are. He is actually feeling the effects of what we’re doing.”
