TV host superstar and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey has announced a new Apple TV+ documentary which will document sexual harassment within the music industry. While this upcoming documentary is untitled, the project will be produced and co-directed by Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering, with the documentary set to premiere in 2020.
According to a statement obtained by Pitchfork, the upcoming project focuses on a “former music executive who grapples with whether to go public with her story of assault and abuse by a notable figure in the music industry.” Winfrey recently covered a similar topic when she interviewed two men who accused Michael Jackson of sexual abuse for an HBO program titled Oprah Winfrey Presents: After Neverland.
This announcement comes during a turbulent year in the music industry, which has seen multiple people from musicians to music journalists, accused of sexual assault and harassment. As recently as last month former Fader Editior-In-Chief Eric Sundermann was fired from his post following several sexual misconduct allegations. Sundermann’s firing was soon followed by the resignation of longtime publisher Andy Cohn, who was also accused of misconduct.
Numerous artists have been accused of sexual assault or misconduct in recent years. Ethan Kath of Crystal Castles was accused of allegedly sexually assaulting his former bandmate Alice Glass, indie rock artist Ryan Adams was accused of allegedly exploiting young female musicians and allegedly using them to solicit sexual favors, while R. Kelly, who was one of the more infamous cases, was accused of allegedly having sexual relationships with multiple minors, and was even charged with child prostitution. Kelly’s sexual misconduct allegations have been around for nearly two decades, however they became the center of public attention earlier this year following the release of the docuseries Surviving R. Kelly.