Update 01/03/2019:

Following news that Lifetime is set to premiere their highly anticipated docu-series Surviving R Kelly, Aaliyah's mother has made a public statement that questions the integrity of the production, challenging the recorded statements from supposed witnesses to Kelly's sex crimes against Aaliyah.

In reference to testimony made by Kelly's former backup dancer, Jovante Cunningham, Aaliyah's mother has come forward to say that none of the events described had ever happened.

"The woman and so-called backup singer that describes seeing, meeting, or even breathing the same air as my daughter, Aaliyah, is a liar, "Diane Haughton wrote in her statement, "My husband and I were always on tour with her and at interviews and at every place she went throughout her entire career. Whoever this woman is, I have never seen her before anywhere on planet earth, until now.

Haughton went on to say, "These lies and fabrications cannot be tolerated and allowed to be spewed from the forked tongues of saboteurs of Aaliyah's legacy. My daughter only wanted to realize her dream of sharing her talent with the world... she realized that dream, thanks to those true fans who still love and support her legacy unconditionally to this day.

Ending her statement, Haughton directed blame towards the entire Surviving R Kelly production, by saying "Shame on all those involved in this project who thought it kosher to drag Aaliyah's naem into a situtation that has nothing to do with her today. Once again, this will not be tolerated."

Surviving R Kelly is set to premiere tonight (Jan. 3) on Lifetime at 9 pm EST. 

Source: Instagram

 

Original 01/01/2019:

Surviving R Kelly is set to premiere on Lifetime later in the week, and it's been reported that the first episode of the docuseries reveals some damning testimony from one of his former backup singers. In the episode, Jovante Cunningham proclaims that she witnessed Kelly have sex with numerous underage girls, most notably Aaliyah when she was only 15.

"We were out on the road with Aaliyah,” Cunningham explains, “On a tour bus, there really aren’t many confined spaces. When you get on the bus there are bunks and so these bunks have little curtains you can pull at night if you don’t want anybody to see you sleeping. So it just so happened we were all laying in our bunks and the curtains are open, everybody’s communicating, laughing. When the [room] door flew open on the bus. Robert was having sex with Aaliyah."

It's long been rumored that Kelly secretly married Aaliyah back in 1994 when he wrote and produced her first album, remarkably titled Age Ain't Nothing but a Number. Kelly was later accused of falsifying documents to make Aaliyah of legal age for marriage, and though the two singers never publicly clarified their relationship, Kelly's former assistant says he was in the room when it all happened.

"I’m not proud of that," Demetrius Smith explained, "I had papers forged for them when Aaliyah was underaged. It was just a quick little ceremony. She didn’t have on a white dress. He didn’t have on a tux. Just every day wear. She looked worried and scared."

Ultimately, Smith elaborates by saying that the marriage was annulled within a year, with Aaliyah's parents having the final say.

Source: Complex