black women
The Story of Grown Αss R. Kelly Marrying 15-Year-Old Aaliyah to Appear In Forthcoming Biopic
Reported by Ree, “The (Ree)lationship Guide”
The highly anticipated forthcoming Aaliyah biopic that cable network Lifetime is creating has caused a bit of a stir on the web.
At first, fans of the late singer were disappointed in the network’s selection of the actress to play the leading role (Zendaya Coleman). Then, the singer’s family came forth accusing the network of exploiting Aaliyah’s legacy for financial gain and calling for a nationwide boycott of the film. Now, news reports claim that the film will unearth a rarely discussed time period of the late singer’s life — her secret marriage to 27-year-old R. Kelly at the tender age of 15.
The film’s executive producer Debra Martin Chase said, “Aaliyah’s personal and professional relationship with R. Kelly will be explored with care in the film as we set out to depict her life with the utmost respect. Above all else, it’s our hope to inspire an entirely new generation with her music and larger-than-life talent.” This is a very touchy subject because Demetrius Smith, a former best friend of R. Kelly, wrote a tell all book titled “The Man Behind the Man: Looking From the Inside Out,” claiming the secret marriage was a result of R. Kelly believing he’d gotten the teen pregnant after she’d missed her menstrual cycle. Her pregnancy would’ve landed the famed singer/songwriter/producer in prison at the peak of his career.
