SOULLESS: THE CASE AGAINST R. KELLY

THE UPDATED PAPERBACK EDITION (PUBLISHED JUNE 2022) FEATURES A NEW 10,000-WORD CODA ABOUT THE FIRST FEDERAL TRIAL AND CONVICTION

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“A must-read.”—Variety

“An absorbing, horrifying, and damning book. … Soulless is an important testament of DeRogatis’ slog towards justice, and of the forces that have seemingly cosseted R. Kelly and his career … It’s also a journalistic indictment: of Kelly himself; of the political machinery of Chicago; and of the music industry. … An essential book.”—NPR.org

“Kelly’s dirty secrets are revealed in this book, and so is the wide gap between true justice and the law.”—AV Club

“Essential … the culmination of DeRogatis’ career reporting on Kelly’s alleged behavior.”—USA Today

“A comprehensive document of the many allegations of statutory rape, sexual assault, and physical and psychological abuse levied against R. Kelly dating back to 1991. … packed start to finish.”—Vulture

“DeRogatis blends investigative journalism, pop cultural criticism, and social commentary … [Soulless] is unflinching in its indictment of a culture and legal system unable to render any semblance of justice for black girls. … Soulless is the kind of intervention we need, especially when the stakes are this high.”—LitHub

“A devastating, thorough accounting of Kelly’s alleged abuses as systematized predation. In explicitly outlining the multiple junctures at which Kelly, his supporters, law enforcement, and journalists have failed the dozens of young black women whom Kelly is accused of abusing, DeRogatis definitively—if also wearily—conveys the sheer magnitude of Kelly’s relative impunity.”—The Atlantic

“More than a straight-forward account of Kelly’s wrongdoing … Soulless offers a dogged combination of biography, investigative reporting, and cultural criticism. … As much as Soulless is an account of Kelly’s misbehavior, it’s a finger firmly pointed in the direction of the people and institutions that enabled, and even encouraged, him.”—Pitchfork

FULL REVIEWS

Jim DeRogatis has been covering R. Kelly’s alleged abuse for nearly two decades. He’s not done yet: The Washington Post

‘Soulless’ by Jim DeRogatis: R. Kelly’s ‘problem’ — and injustice to black women: The Philadelphia Inquirer

R. Kelly Wants Power, Not ‘Help’: A new book about the singer’s alleged sex crimes, written by the journalist Jim DeRogatis, further challenges the facade of Kelly’s despondence: The Atlantic

‘Soulless: The Case Against R. Kelly’: Everything we learned from the shocking new book: USA Today

New & Noteworthy, From R. Kelly to White House Corruption: The New York Times

R. Kelly Reporter Jim DeRogatis Talks Relentless Pursuit of ‘Serial Sexual Predator’: Rolling Stone

A journalist’s long pursuit of justice for R. Kelly’s accusers: The Boston Globe

‘Soulless’ Author Jim DeRogatis Talks 19 Years of Reporting R. Kelly, Latest Charges and More: Variety

#MeToo Founder Tarana Burke, ‘Soulless’ Author Jim DeRogatis Talk R. Kelly Allegations: Variety

‘Soulless: The Case Against R. Kelly’ Panel Further Exposes The Cold, Hard Truths About The R&B Icon: BET

“He is both shrewd and smart and stupid” – journalist Jim DeRogatis on his explosive new R Kelly book: NME

Who enabled accused sexual predators R. Kelly and Jeffrey Epstein? We did: The Los Angeles Times

“We all need to be investigative critics”: Music journalist Jim DeRogatis on R. Kelly, denial, and truth in the age of #MeToo: Nieman Reports

Jim DeRogatis, who spent nearly 20 years exposing R. Kelly, was joined by activists Tarana Burke and Jamilah Lemieux to discuss ‘the ways that we are complicit’ in the Kelly saga: The Daily Beast

#MuteRKelly Founders Honored at Evening of Impact: The Chicago Defender

10 Books We’re Dying To Toss Into Our Summer Totes: Essence

Author makes his case about R. Kelly: Hyde Park Herald

Soulless author Jim DeRogatis explains the case against R. Kelly: Entertainment Weekly

Black Women Felt Industry Pressure Not to Speak Out Against R. Kelly: New York/Vulture

R. Kelly Reporter Jim DeRogatis Never Wants to Hear Another ‘Pee Tape’ Joke: Vulture/New York

8 Disturbing R. Kelly Revelations Detailed in New Book: Vulture/New York

Jim DeRogatis again makes his case against R. Kelly, Chicago’s legal system and the public in ‘Soulless’: The Chicago Tribune

Column: With both R. Kelly and Jeffrey Epstein, it takes a village: The Chicago Tribune

How the Media Helped R. Kelly: Columbia Journalism Review

In ‘Soulless,’ A Journalist Takes On R. Kelly And The Business That Made Him A Star: NPR.org

Jim DeRogatis has covered R. Kelly for two decades but his work isn’t done: The reporter and critic on his new book Soulless: The Case Against R. Kelly and why it’s taken the world so long to catch up: The Fader

Jim DeRogatis broke the R. Kelly story in 2000. Now he’s compiled a damning case against Kelly: Vox

‘Soulless’: The Definitive Case Against R. Kelly, From Statutory Rape Allegations to Broken Dreams: The Daily Beast

Jim DeRogatis’ blistering ‘Soulless’ bolsters the case against R. Kelly: The Houston Chronicle

Jim DeRogatis’ Soulless Is a Damning Look at Why It Took So Long For R. Kelly to Fall: Pitchfork

Journalist Jim DeRogatis reveals why it took so long for the case against R. Kelly to stick: The Chicago Reader

The Conversation: Jim DeRogatis discusses “Soulless—The Case Against R. Kelly”: New City

Lit 50: Who Really Books In Chicago 2019: New City

Journalist vindicated after 18-year battle to expose R. Kelly: The New York Post

From R. Kelly to As I Lay Dying, Music Industry Grapples With Problematic Artists: Pollstar

When getting the story means years of threats, even bullets: Christian Science Monitor

SOULLESS: The Case Against R. Kelly: Kirkus Reviews

‘Soulless’ sets out R. Kelly’s abuse of girls: The Chicago Sun-Times

Troy Reimink: ‘Soulless’ exposes R. Kelly’s abuses, industry: Traverse City Record Eagle

Journalist who first broke R. Kelly sexual abuse allegations talks life, work at DePaul event: The DePaulia

Pissed on his parade: Journalist who exposed R. Kelly takes the stage at First Person Arts Festival: Philadelphia Weekly

MEDIA APPEARANCES

R. Kelly reporter Jim DeRogatis: “Every system of Chicago has failed dozens of young black women”: CBS This Morning

Is R. Kelly the ‘worst predator’ in the history of pop music? PBS Newshour

Jim DeRogatis: Money and race played a factor in R. Kelly case: MSNBC

Reporter Who Broke R. Kelly Story: Abuse Was In ‘Full View Of The World’: Fresh Air, NPR

All of It, WNYC

WTTW Chicago Tonight

Jim DeRogatis Says You Can’t Separate Art from Artisty with R. Kelly: Newsy

Investigative reporter Jim DeRogatis: R Kelly is ‘the worst predator in the history of popular music’: BBC Channel Four News

Jim DeRogatis: The thorn in R. Kelly’s side: BBC

Rick Kogan, WGN Radio

John Williams, WGN Radio

The Case Against R. Kelly: Jim DeRogatis in Conversation: Chicago Humanities Festival

Jim DeRogatis on new R. Kelly federal charges: WGN News

The Tip Off podcast Ep.32 “Brother needs help”

Dan Le Batard podcast ESPN

BOOK EXCERPTS

Kelly and the Damage Done: The New Yorker

Jim DeRogatis’ ‘Soulless: The Case Against R. Kelly’: Exclusive Book Excerpt: Billboard

Jim DeRogatis’ ‘Soulless’ Excerpts Give Chilling Insight On R. Kelly Allegations: VIBE

How The Story Of R. Kelly’s “Sex Cult” Finally Went Public — And Quickly Exploded: Buzzfeed

Jim DeRogatis: Consuming the Art of a Predator is Always a Moral Choice: Lit Hub

MEDIA COLUMNS/ANALYSES

Journalists on the ‘aha’ moments that changed the way they work: Columbia Journalism Review

Journalism largely failed in R. Kelly case, but Sun-Times reporters persisted: Gateway Journalism Review

How Did The Media Get The R. Kelly Story So Wrong? The New York Times Led The Way: Buzzfeed

Kelly & Our Failure: Perfect Sound Forever

The Case Against R. Kelly is a Case Against Us: Lit Hub