The essential account of R. Kelly's actions and their consequences, a reckoning two decades in the making
In November 2000, Chicago journalist and music critic Jim DeRogatis received an anonymous fax that alleged R. Kelly had a problem with "young girls." Weeks later, DeRogatis broke the shocking story, publishing allegations that the R&B superstar and local hero had groomed girls, sexually abused them, and paid them off. DeRogatis thought his work would have an impact. Instead, Kelly's career flourished.
No one seemed to care: not the music industry, not the culture at large, not the parents of numerous other young girls. But for more than eighteen years, DeRogatis stayed on the story. He was the one who was given the disturbing videotape that led to Kelly's 2008 child pornography trial, the one whose window was shot out, and the one whom women trusted to tell their stories-of a meeting with the superstar at a classroom, a mall, a concert, or a McDonald's that forever warped the course of their lives.
Soulless: The Case Against R. Kelly is DeRogatis's masterpiece, a work of tenacious journalism and powerful cultural criticism. It tells the story of Kelly's career, DeRogatis's investigations, and the world in which the two crossed paths, and brings the story up to Kelly's criminal reckoning. Decades in the making, this is an outrageous, darkly riveting account of the life and actions of R. Kelly, and their horrible impact on dozens of girls, by the only person to tell it.
Industry Reviews
"There really isn't anyone more qualified to write about the saga of R. Kelly than Jim DeRogatis. Jim has done the work. He's built the relationships. He's cared about the outcome for almost two decades" -- Tarana Burke, founder #MeToo
"Jim DeRogatis heroically and doggedly pursued the story of R. Kelly's predation on young women when the rest of the world simply would not care. For much of his career, Jim has been a music journalist, which means his livelihood depends on the good will and access to musicians and the music industry. All of which he jeopardized by revealing the darkest truths about one of its biggest stars. Give the man a Pulitzer, or something. Praise his name." -- Peter Sagal
"a brave and important book" -- Booklist
"a stunning account of harm done and dismissed." -- Daily Beast
"Soulless provides new information and insight to readers about the many avenues of sexual assault Kelly has driven down and what can lie ahead in his upcoming trials." -- Vibe
"The writer lays out the case against Kelly in his new book, Soulless. He details not just the accusations of sexual abuse, but Kelly's complex history of out-of-court settlements, the music industry's complicity in his actions, and law enforcement's failure to bring him to justice. -- BBC News Online
"A piercing work of investigative journalism on a celebrity scandal that continues to fester." -- Kirkus
"DeRogatis captivates in this expertly told narrative" -- Publishers Weekly
