R. Kelly’s Daughter Shares Allegations of Childhood Abuse
R. Kelly’s Daughter Alleges Childhood Sexual Abuse. Credit:gettyimages
Joann Kelly, daughter of the well-known American singer R. Kelly, has come forward with allegations of childhood sexual abuse by her father. In a revealing two-part documentary series titled "Karma: A Daughter's Journey" on the TVEI Streaming Network, Joann shares that she first confided in her mother, Drea, about the abuse in 2009.
Now 26 years old, Joann chose not to discuss specific details of the alleged abuse but asserted in the documentary that her father's recent jail sentences are justified. She expressed a deep emotional conflict and reluctance to accept the reality of the abuse initially, emphasizing the profound impact it had on her life and identity.
“I was too scared to tell anybody. I was too scared to tell my mom. I really feel like that one millisecond completely just changed my whole life, who I was as a person and the light I used to carry,"
Joann disclosed in the documentary.
Following her disclosure to her mother, Joann and her siblings ceased visits to their father’s residence, marking a significant turning point in their relationship with him. She admits to struggling significantly with the aftermath of the revelations.
In response to the documentary, Jennifer Bonjean, R. Kelly’s lawyer, issued a statement denying the allegations.
R. Kelly was sentenced in February 2023 to 20 years in prison for charges of child pornography and enticement, which will run concurrently with a 30-year sentence from a separate 2022 New York case involving similar offenses.
