Entertainment Music Gun Threats Shut Down 'Surviving R. Kelly' Premiere in NYC, Organizers Accuse Singer of 'Intimidation' Gun threats shut down "Surviving R. Kelly" premiere in NYC, organizers have accused the singer of "intimidation" By Robyn Merrett and Janine Rubenstein Janine Rubenstein Instagram Twitter Janine Rubenstein is Editor-at-Large at PEOPLE and host of PEOPLE Every Day podcast, a daily dose of breaking news, pop culture and heartwarming human interest stories. Formerly Senior Editor of music content, she's also covered crime, human interest and television news throughout her many years with the brand. Prior to PEOPLE she's written for Essence, The Cape Times newspaper and Los Angeles Magazine among others. On-screen Rubenstein can be found featured on shows like Good Morning America and Entertainment Tonight and she routinely hosts PEOPLE and Entertainment Weekly's star-studded Red Carpet Live specials. Follow the San Francisco native, Black Barbie collector and proud mom of two on Instagram and Twitter @janinerube People Editorial Guidelines Published on December 4, 2018 11:20 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Earl Gibson III/Getty The premiere of Lifetime’s upcoming docuseries Surviving R. Kelly was abruptly cut short in New York City Tuesday night due to gun threats. The film was only about 10 minutes in, when theatre management asked the attendees to evacuate the event, which was held at NeuHouse Madison Square. Once everyone was safely out of the building, event organizers were heard telling the crowd, “We exited the building out of an abundance of caution, but this is all the more reason why we need to make sure this message is heard.” A spokesperson for the New York City Police Department tells PEOPLE they received a call from NeuHouse management, explaining that someone had made threats to fire shots during the premiere. When NYPD arrived, they explained the film had already been stopped and attendees were in the process of exiting the building. Prince Williams/WireImage The spokesperson also said there were no injuries or arrests made. However, they will be taking a report down of the incident. Shortly after the scare, Lifetime issued a statement, claiming the alleged threats were an “intimidation tactic.” “There were several called in gun threats to NeueHouse. With the safety of guests in mind, we decided to evacuate the theater,” Lifetime explained. “This was an intimidation tactic from R. Kelly to further silence these women.” A representative for R. Kelly did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment. Throughout Kelly’s career, a number of women including his ex-wife Andrea Kelly, who attended the premiere, have accused him of domestic abuse and sexual assault. Kelly has firmly denied the allegations, including those made by his ex-wife. “We deny the many dark descriptions put forth by instigators and liars who have their own agenda for seeking profit and fame,” a representative for Kelly previously told PEOPLE. The Most Shocking Accusations from R. Kelly Alleged Abuse Victim Kitti Jones “All of the women targeted by the current media onslaught are legal adults of sound mind and body, with their own free will. Law enforcement officials in Atlanta and Chicago previously have made ‘wellness’ visits to check on the women in question and have found everything to be safe and sound.” Surviving R. Kelly investigates years of alleged abuse and features interviews from Kelly’s “inner circle.” Also in attendance were alleged sexual assault survivors Jehonda Pace, Lisa Van Allen, Lizette Martinez, Asante McGee, Faith Rogers and Kitti Jones. The 3-part docuseries is set to air in January. If you or someone you know think they are being abused, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY) now for anonymous, confidential help, available 24/7.