Four years ago New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd made an observation worth revisiting in light of recent headlines. "Celebrity supersedes criminality," she wrote. Dowd came to this conclusion in evaluating "Leaving Neverland," HBO's documentary featuring the stories of two men who allege the late Michael Jackson sexually abused them when they were children.
But for decades R. Kelly also proved her to be right. In 2002 Kelly was simply too famous for an indictment on 14 counts of child pornography to stick. His celebrity and power in the music industry bought his victims' silence and empowered fans to attack his accusers. That shield held until 2019, when "Surviving R. Kelly" made his crimes even more famous than his talent.
