Current:Home > ContactR. Kelly's Daughter Joann Kelly to Share a "Heartbreaking Secret" in Upcoming Documentary -WealthSphere Pro
R. Kelly's Daughter Joann Kelly to Share a "Heartbreaking Secret" in Upcoming Documentary
View
Date:2025-04-12 10:40:43
R. Kelly's estranged daughter has been carrying a heartbreaking childhood secret.
In a new documentary, Joann Kelly, who also goes by the name Buku Abi, shares details about her experience growing up with the R&B singer, who is serving a more than 30-year prison sentence for sex crimes against underage girls.
"He was my everything for a long time," Joann, who was not named as one of the victims during Kelly's 2021 trial, says in the TVEI Network's R. Kelly's Karma: A Daughter's Journey, as seen in a trailer released Sept. 29. "I didn't even want to believe it happened."
The 26-year-old continued, "I didn't know that even if he was a bad person, that he would do something to me. I really feel like that one millisecond completely just changed my whole life."
According to TVEI, in the documentary, Kelly's daughter "bravely reveals a heartbreaking secret that shattered her childhood."
Joann, who appeared to be pregnant while filming the documentary, vowed to be open about her experiences with her son and keep him away from the "I Believe I Can Fly" singer.
"If my son asks questions I'm going to be as truthful as possible," she said, "but I would not be taking my son to a prison to meet his grandfather."
Kelly will be 78 when he eligible for release from prison in 2045. In April, a federal appeals court upheld his convictions on child pornography and enticement charges, more than 18 months after the conclusion of his trial in Chicago, WTTW reported.
Joann's mother, Kelly’s ex-wife Drea Kelly, also appears in the documentary. "Just because you’re not a good husband, doesn't mean you can’t be a good father. And the fact that he didn’t even try," the 50-year-old said in the trailer. "What he did to me, he did to me. But you didn’t have to do it to my damn kids."
In 2019, Joann spoke out about her father after the release of the docuseries Surviving R. Kelly, which chronicled allegations of abuse and pedophilia that others made about the singer.
The project preceded an investigation against Kelly that helped lead to his 2022 conviction of racketeering and sex trafficking, and a year later, convictions for felony sexual exploitation of a child, enticement of a female, and possession of material containing child pornography.
"The same monster you all confronting me about is my father," Joann wrote on her Instagram Story at the time. "I am well aware of who and what he is. I grew up in that house. My choice to not speak on him and what he does is for my peace of mind. My emotional state. And for MY healing. I have to do & move in a manner that is best for me."
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (57)
Related
- 'We're reborn!' Gazans express joy at returning home to north
- Former Alabama correctional officer is sentenced for assaulting restrained inmate and cover-up
- Former Alabama correctional officer is sentenced for assaulting restrained inmate and cover-up
- Minnesota has a new state flag: See the design crafted by a resident
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- Jeremy Allen White Shares Sizzling Update on The Bear Season 3
- Patrick Mahomes’ Wife Brittany Claps Back at “Rude” Comments, Proving Haters Gonna Hate, Hate, Hate
- Cameron Diaz denies feuding with Jamie Foxx on 'Back in Action' set: 'Jamie is the best'
- Jamie Foxx reps say actor was hit in face by a glass at birthday dinner, needed stitches
- Trump defends controversial comments about immigrants poisoning the nation’s blood at Iowa rally
Ranking
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- Fans are begging for Macaulay Culkin to play Kevin McCallister in a new 'Home Alone' movie
- Hey! Lululemon Added to Their “We Made Too Much” Section & These Finds Are Less Than $89
- Lawsuit alleges Wisconsin Bar Association minority program is unconstitutional
- Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
- Poland’s new government moves to free state media from previous team’s political control
- What to know about the Colorado Supreme Court's Trump ruling, and what happens next
- Top Hamas leader arrives in Cairo for talks on the war in Gaza in another sign of group’s resilience
Recommendation
Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
Memo to Peyton Manning: The tush push is NOT banned in your son's youth football league
From AI and inflation to Elon Musk and Taylor Swift, the business stories that dominated 2023
Kentucky’s Democratic governor refers to Trump’s anti-immigrant language as dangerous, dehumanizing
The Super Bowl could end in a 'three
Christian group and family raise outcry over detention of another ‘house church’ elder in China
Rome court convicts far-right activists for storming union offices to oppose COVID vaccine passes
'Aquaman' star Jason Momoa cracks up Kelly Clarkson with his NSFW hip thrusts: Watch