Current:Home > InvestR. Kelly's Daughter Joann Kelly to Share a "Heartbreaking Secret" in Upcoming Documentary -AssetLink
R. Kelly's Daughter Joann Kelly to Share a "Heartbreaking Secret" in Upcoming Documentary
View
Date:2025-04-17 21:44:42
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! (98975)
Related
- Taylor Swift Eras Archive site launches on singer's 35th birthday. What is it?
- Autopsies on corpses linked to Kenya starvation cult reveal missing organs; 133 confirmed dead
- King Charles' official coronation pictures released: Meet the man who captured the photos
- Jennifer Aniston Says BFF Adam Sandler Calls Her Out Over Dating Choices
- Illinois governor calls for resignation of sheriff whose deputy fatally shot Black woman in her home
- This Detangling Hairbrush With 73,000+ 5-Star Amazon Reviews Is on Sale for $12
- Rob Dyrdek Applauds “Brave” Wife Bryiana Dyrdek for Sharing Her Autism Diagnosis
- More than 1,000 trafficking victims rescued in separate operations in Southeast Asia
- Police remove gator from pool in North Carolina town: Watch video of 'arrest'
- Vanderpump Rules' Raquel Leviss Will Attend Season 10 Reunion Amid Tom Sandoval Scandal
Ranking
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- U.N. says Iran on pace for frighteningly high number of state executions this year
- Selena Gomez Is a Blushing Bride in Only Murders in the Building Behind-the-Scenes Photos
- Why false claims about Brazil's election are spreading in far-right U.S. circles
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- Detectives seeking clues in hunt for killers of 22 unidentified women: Don't let these girls be forgotten
- Looking to leave Twitter? Here are the social networks seeing new users now
- Indian Matchmaking Season 3 Has a Premiere Date and First Look Photos
Recommendation
A Georgia governor’s latest work after politics: a children’s book on his cats ‘Veto’ and ‘Bill’
How protesters in China bypass online censorship to express dissent
Elizabeth Holmes sentenced to 11 years in prison for Theranos fraud
Chaos reigns at Twitter as Musk manages 'by whims'
Paris Olympics live updates: Quincy Hall wins 400m thriller; USA women's hoops in action
Hubble's 1995 image of a star nursery was amazing. Take a look at NASA's new version
The Pacific island nation of Vanuatu has been knocked offline for more than a month
U.N. calls on Taliban to halt executions as Afghanistan's rulers say 175 people sentenced to death since 2021