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Surviving R. Kelly Producer Says Jay-Z, Lady Gaga, Questlove and More Declined Interviews for the Series

NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 25: R. Kelly performs in concert at Barclays Center on September 25, 2015 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Pont/Getty Images)

Surviving R. Kelly, the miniseries tracing the singer’s alleged history of sexual and physical abuse, premieres on Lifetime today. The comprehensively researched series features over 50 interviews, including with R. Kelly‘s accusers, family members, and friends, but it includes a surprisingly small amount of appearances from celebrities. The only musicians interviewed in the documentary are John Legend, a past collaborator of series executive producer dream hampton’s as well as Kelly’s, and the singer Stephanie “Sparkle” Edwards, who testified against Kelly in his trial for child pornography charges in 2008.

hampton told the Detroit Free Press that this was not for lack of trying. The documentary’s team contacted numerous celebrities who had collaborated with Kelly, including ones “that had been critical of him.” In the DFP interview, hampton named Jay-Z, Lady Gaga, Erykah Badu, Celine Dion, and Dave Chappelle specifically. In another interview with Shadow and Act, the filmmaker mentioned Mary J. Blige, Lil’ Kim, and Questlove.

“I remember Ahmir [“Questlove” Thompson] was like, ‘I would do anything for you but I can’t do this,'” hampton told the site. “It’s not because they support him, it’s because it’s so messy and muddy. It’s that turning away that has allowed this to go on.”

Today, TMZ also reported that Kelly is threatening to sue Lifetime over the miniseries. Tthe singer’s lawyer Brian Nix reportedly sent a letter threatening a federal lawsuit on the day of airing (today) if the network did not pull the documentary. Early last month, a screening of the documentary was shut down due to an anonymous gun threat, which Kelly’s ex-wife Andrea Kelly told Rolling Stone she believed was the handiwork of the singer himself.

UPDATE 5:55 p.m. EST: Questlove responded to the claims hampton made to the Detroit Free Press on why he declined to participate in the documentary on Twitter late Thursday afternoon. The Roots drummer said he “always thought Kels was trash” but declined to appear in the film because he was allegedly asked to “be in the ‘good times’ portion of the doc” apparently discussing the embattled singer’s artistic legacy.

Read his tweets below: