‘Surviving R. Kelly’ Returns to Netflix Following Removal in April 2022

The Lifetime docu-series looking into the sexual abuse allegations against R. Kelly returns to Netflix.

Kasey Moore What's on Netflix Avatar
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surviving r kelly leaving netflix in april 2022

Surviving R. Kelly – Picture: Lifetime

First released in January 2019 on Lifetime, the docu-series exposing R. Kelly was later added to Netflix, delivering it to a huge new audience. The influential docuseries then saw a follow-up season and a documentary special added to Netflix but all were removed from Netflix in the United States in April 2022. The documentaries subsequently returned in June 2022.

Netflix has slowly been losing the show around the world, having picked up the global licensing rights back in September 2019. We then saw the two follow-ups Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning & Surviving R. Kelly: The Impact added in April 2020 but only in the United States.

The docuseries first came out right around the time Kelly was formally charged with criminal sexual abuse after years of claims.

The series interviews the women accusing the rapper and singer R. Kelly of sexual and mental abuse. The follow-up series saw more women come forward and looked at the case following the verdict. Finally, a one-off special hosted by Soledad O’Brien took a look at the impact of the docuseries and the trial itself.

Now the US is set to lose all three titles in the Surviving R. Kelly franchise on April 13th, 2022. The titles are showing notices that state the last day to watch on Netflix is April 12th.

In a reversal, the show was then readded to Netflix on June 16th so as a quick reminder, here’s the order in which you need to watch the show:

  • Surviving R. Kelly (Season 1 – 6 episodes)
  • Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning (Season 1 – 5 episodes)
  • Surviving R. Kelly: The Impact (2019)

When will Surviving R. Kelly leave Netflix in other regions?

Netflix US isn’t the only one showing Surviving R. Kelly nor is it the only region to see the show expiring soon.

Most regions, including the likes of the UK and Australia, lost the first season of the show back in September 2021 (two years after it was added).

As of June 2022, the series remains available in Canada, France, Germany, South Africa, and Switzerland.

Will you be checking out Surviving R. Kelly before it leaves in April 2022? Let us know in the comments.

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Founder of What's on Netflix, Kasey has been tracking the comings and goings of the Netflix library for over a decade. Covering everything from new movies, series and games from around the world, Kasey is in charge of covering breaking news, covering all the new additions now available on Netflix and what's coming next.