R. Kelly
Daughter Buku Abi raises serious allegations of abuse
R. Kelly is in prison for 31 years for sexual abuse.
© Jamie Lamor Thompson/Shutterstock
R. Kelly is serving a 31-year prison sentence for sexual abuse. In a new documentary, his daughter also makes allegations.
R. Kelly’s (57) eldest daughter Buku Abi (26) speaks for the first time about her father’s sexual abuse in a new documentary series. “I just remember waking up and him touching me,” the 26-year-old says tearfully in “R. Kelly’s Karma: A Daughter’s Journey,” as People magazine reports. She was eight or nine years old at the time. R. Kelly was sentenced to 31 years in prison in February 2023 for sexual abuse of minors.
Abi, who comes from Kelly’s marriage to Andrea Kelly (50), pretended to be asleep during her father’s attack. The musician was her “everything,” which is why she suppressed the abuse for a long time. “I was too afraid to tell anyone. I was too afraid to tell my mother,” said Abi. It wasn’t until she was ten that she finally had the courage and then filed an anonymous complaint with her mother, but it had no consequences.
Psychological problems due to abuse
Because of the events, Buku Abi, who was born Joan Kelly, still suffers from mental health problems today: “I really feel like that one millisecond changed my whole life and changed me as a person and the shine that I had, and changed the light that I always carried within me”. Because of the abuse, she also attempted suicide several times.
After the ad, Abi and her siblings Jaah (23) and Robert Jr. (22), who also appear in the documentary, no longer saw R. Kelly. The length of his prison sentence is a kind of satisfaction for them all. R. Kelly’s ex-wife Andrea, who was married to him until 2009, has made allegations of sexual abuse against the former music star.
R. Kelly denies the allegations
In a statement to People, Kelly’s lawyer has already commented on the statements in the documentary. “His ex-wife made this same claim years ago and it was investigated by the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services and found to be unfounded,” claimed Jennifer Bonjean. The producers of the documentary did not give their client the opportunity to comment on the matter and “deny these hurtful allegations.”
The American singer, songwriter and music producer Robert Kelly enjoyed great success in the 1990s with hits such as “I Believe I Can Fly”. In 2021 he was sentenced to 31 years in prison for sexual abuse of minors, sexual exploitation, human trafficking and bribery. He continues to deny all crimes.
The telephone counseling service offers help with depression and suicidal thoughts on the free number: 0800/111 0 111.