​R. Kelly Lifetime Documentary Screening Evacuated Due to Gun Threat

Years of troubling abuse allegations against R. Kelly are the subject of multiple documentaries at this point. But unfortunately, the screening of Lifetime's Surviving R. Kelly was interrupted and evacuated by a gun threat last night (December 4).
 
The film was set to screen at New York's NeueHouse Madison Square, but theatre management evacuated the venue after a gun threat was called in about 20 minutes into the film.
 
The call was anonymous but reportedly originated from Chicago. A New York Police Department spokesperson told CNN that "an unknown caller said that if the film continued to play, someone inside the theatre would start shooting."
 
"We followed appropriate safety protocols in collaboration with the NYPD and elected to postpone the event," a rep for the Lifetime network said. "We stand by the creative women bringing these heroic stories to light."
 
Among the special guests in attendance at the screening were #MeToo activist Tarana Burke, #OscarsSoWhite founder April Reign, and R. Kelly accusers Kitti Jones, Jerhonda Pace, Lisa Van Allen, Asante McGee and Lizzette Martinez.
 
See tweets from some of the guests in attendance below.
 
It's unclear if or when the screening event will now be held, but the six-part documentary series Surviving R. Kelly will air on Lifetime from January 3 to 5.
 

I'm at a screening for Surviving R Kelly. And a threat was called in. The police are here and we had to evacuate. #MuteRKelly #SurvivingRKelly pic.twitter.com/4Jtyja5DQN

— April (@ReignOfApril) December 5, 2018

To my knowledge, everyone is physically safe. The screening was abruptly ended & will be rescheduled, perhaps. There were survivors of R Kelly in the room, who I'm sure were emotionally affected more than the rest of us. #SurvivingRKelly #MuteRKelly

— April (@ReignOfApril) December 5, 2018

Thank you to @joshuadubois, Brie Miranda Bryant, and the @lifetimetv team for handling a potentially dangerous situation with grace and expediency. Survivors will NOT be silenced. This story WILL be told. #SurvivingRKelly #MuteRKelly pic.twitter.com/5CNsF3g8gC

— April (@ReignOfApril) December 5, 2018

The worst of it isn't the threat though bc it didn't appear to be credible but the survivors who had to endure his harassment. #muteRkelly

— Tarana (@TaranaBurke) December 5, 2018

THE #survivingRKelly SCREENING WAS JUST SHUT DOWN BECAUSE OF A THREAT TO THE VENUE

— Jamilah Lemieux🖤 (@JamilahLemieux) December 5, 2018

I was at the #SurvivingRKelly doc screening last night when it was abruptly evacuated due to a gun threat called into NYPD from Chicago. Never experienced anything like this at a screening before.https://t.co/3OaM93d8J8

— Sylvia Obell (@SylviaObell) December 5, 2018

Just had to evacuate the #survivingrkelly screening because of threats 🤔 There were 7 survivors set to talk after the screening and Andrea Kelly + Tarana Burke

— Angela Yee (@angelayee) December 5, 2018

The #SurvivingRKelly premiere was just evacuated because we received a threat. The survivors were whisked away. I have the full video on IG and I'm gonna post clips in this thread

Here with @JamilahLemieux @TaranaBurke and more pic.twitter.com/TXS3ANNVHz

— ♈️☀️~Femme~🌙♌️ (@FeministaJones) December 5, 2018

I was at the screening of the documentary "Surviving R Kelly" when we were asked to leave due to a security threat. The screening was cancelled. Exact threat not clear. Folks in attendance believe it's directly tied to someone who doesn't want us to see the truth of R Kelly.

— Terrell J. Starr (@Russian_Starr) December 5, 2018

We will not be shut down. He will deal. Airs January 3rd https://t.co/qkITI0x6cH

— dream hampton (@dreamhampton) December 5, 2018