JANE DOE #9: A Surviving R. Kelly Victim Speaks Out
About this audiobook
In January of 1995, seventeen-year-old Lizzette Martinez met Grammy-winning musician and record producer R. Kelly at Aventura Mall in Florida where he was performing. At first, it seemed that her hopes of becoming a professional singer were about to come true when he offered to help boost her career. However, this mentorship quickly turned into sexual grooming, leading to years of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.
After struggling to free herself of the relationship and rebuild on her own, Lizzette’s successful new life, far away from the entertainment industry, was interrupted in 2017 by allegations against R. Kelly by other women. This led her to coming forward to the authorities with her own history of abuse by the music icon.
In January 2019, Lizzette participated with other survivors in a documentary series with Lifetime called Surviving R. Kelly. It should have been a healing experience, but instead it left them feeling abandoned and fearful for their lives.
In August 2021, Kelly went on trial in New York on racketeering and sex trafficking charges and was found guilty of all charges.
In Jane Doe #9, listeners get a no-holds-barred look at Martinez’s relationship with Kelly, her efforts to break free and pursue her dreams, and courage to take on her abuser and seek justice.
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About the author
Lizzette Martinez is the survivor and silence-breaker featured in the Emmy-nominated documentary Surviving R. Kelly, Parts 1 & 2. She was one of the first women to come out about the singer publicly to BuzzFeed in 2018. Puerto Rican and from a musical family, Lizzette, an aspiring vocalist, was seventeen when she met R. Kelly at a Miami mall. Her story has been featured on Good Day LA, Access Hollywood, E News, the New Yorker, The Wrap, Inside Edition, Univision, and numerous other media outlets. She lives in Miami and has started a nonprofit organization, Delia’s House, which offers safe homes for victims and survivors of abuse.
Keelin MacGregor is an editor and first-time author who grew up in the publishing industry, reading manuscripts from an early age. She has spent the last several years creating proposals and reviewing manuscripts for literary agents and authors, as well as freelance editing and writing posts and content for social media. Based in Seattle, she enjoys being part of the local aerial circus community—spending an unusual amount of time upside down—and reading everything she can squeeze in throughout the day. JANE DOE #9 is her first published book.
Tamika Katon-Donegal is a talented actress and voiceover artist who received her bachelor's degree in theatre from the University of Southern California. She has appeared in films such as Dr. Strange and Rocketboy. Her experience in improv and stand-up comedy helps her tell stories with humor, passion, and honesty.
