In the 1990s, rhythm and blues music was all the rage, and one of the leading figures in the genre was R. Kelly. He had a string of hits that crossed over to the pop charts, and his albums regularly went multi-platinum. But even as he was topping the charts, Kelly was dealing with personal troubles. In 1994, he was sued by a woman who accused him of making her a part of a sexual “cult.” The case was settled out of court, but it was a sign of things to come.

In 2002, Kelly was arrested after a video …