Current:Home > InvestR. Kelly's Daughter Joann Kelly to Share a "Heartbreaking Secret" in Upcoming Documentary -DollarDynamic
R. Kelly's Daughter Joann Kelly to Share a "Heartbreaking Secret" in Upcoming Documentary
View
Date:2025-04-22 17:39:01
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! (266)
Related
- Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor
- Why pediatricians are worried about the end of the federal COVID emergency
- Donate Your Body To Science?
- In close races, Republicans attack Democrats over fentanyl and the overdose crisis
- US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
- Abortion is on the California ballot. But does that mean at any point in pregnancy?
- Keystone I Leak Raises More Doubts About Pipeline Safety
- What to know now that hearing aids are available over the counter
- Sarah J. Maas books explained: How to read 'ACOTAR,' 'Throne of Glass' in order.
- InsideClimate News Launches National Environment Reporting Network
Ranking
- Juan Soto praise of Mets' future a tough sight for Yankees, but World Series goal remains
- This urban mosquito threatens to derail the fight against malaria in Africa
- Fracking Study Finds Toxins in Wyoming Town’s Groundwater and Raises Broader Concerns
- Shanghai Disney Resort will close indefinitely starting on Halloween due to COVID-19
- Don't let hackers fool you with a 'scam
- Contaminated cough syrup from India linked to 70 child deaths. It's happened before
- Former Trump attorney Timothy Parlatore thinks Trump could be indicted in Florida
- Prince Harry's Spare Ghostwriter Recalls Shouting at Him Amid Difficult Edits
Recommendation
Gen. Mark Milley's security detail and security clearance revoked, Pentagon says
Wildfire smoke impacts more than our health — it also costs workers over $100B a year. Here's why.
WHO releases list of threatening fungi. The most dangerous might surprise you
Tupac Shakur posthumously receives star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
Taylor Swift makes surprise visit to Kansas City children’s hospital
A $2.5 million prize gives this humanitarian group more power to halt human suffering
Congress Punts on Clean Energy Standards, Again
A town employee who quietly lowered the fluoride in water has resigned