A newly launched Facebook page that sought to defend R. Kelly and “expose” his accusers in the aftermath of Surviving R. Kelly has been pulled off the social network for violating terms of service.
On Monday, after the six-part docuseries’ weekend run on Lifetime, TMZ reported that “[Kelly] and his camp” were behind a pair of sites – a Facebook page called Surviving Lies and an in-the-works website bearing the same name – that aimed to clear his name and discredit his accusers. It has not been confirmed whether Kelly is actually behind the pages.
After the Facebook page launched Monday, its operators posted a previously surfaced audio recording that allegedly contradicted the story of one of the women who appeared on Surviving R. Kelly.
The Surviving Lies Facebook, which used an image of Pinocchio as its profile photo and drew 5,000 followers after its launch, also posted images and screenshots of alleged text messages between Kelly and some of his accusers before Facebook pulled the page from its network following outcry from users, Fast Company reports.
“The Page violated our Community Standards and has been removed,” a Facebook representative said in a statement. “We do not tolerate bullying or sharing other’s private contact information and take action on content that violates our policies as soon as we’re aware.”
At press time, the Surviving Lies website has not launched.