'Surviving R. Kelly''s first episode reveals details of singer's relationship with Aaliyah

Randee St. Nicholas/RCA RecordsThe Lifetime docu-series Surviving R. Kelly debuts Thursday, and in the first episode, new details of the singer’s relationship with Aaliyah are revealed.

The first episode features an interview with Kelly’s ex-backup singer Jovante Cunningham.  Cunningham claims she witnessed Kelly’s sexual encounters with underage girls over the course of his career, including his one-time protégée Aaliyah, who died in a 2001 plane crash.

Cunningham also reveals the moment she discovered that Kelly, then 27, and Aaliyah, then 15, had a sexual relationship.

“We were out on the road with Aaliyah,” she explains. “On a tour bus, there really aren’t many confined spaces. When you get on