Joann Kelly, the daughter of R. Kelly, has made shocking allegations against the imprisoned singer, claiming he sexually abused her as a child. This revelation comes in a new two-part documentary titled Karma: A Daughter’s Journey.
In the documentary, Joann—also known as Buku Abi—reveals that she first reported the alleged abuse to her mother, Drea Kelly, in 2009. “He was my everything. For a long time, I didn’t even want to believe that it happened,” the 26-year-old shares. “I didn’t know that even if he was a bad person, he would do something to me. I was too scared to tell anybody. I was too scared to tell my mom.”
Although she refrains from detailing the alleged abuse, Joann expresses her belief that her father’s current 20-year prison sentence is well-deserved. “I really feel like that one millisecond completely just changed my whole life,” she reflects. “After I told my mom, I didn’t go over there anymore; my brother Robert and sister Jaah didn’t go over there anymore. Even up until now, I struggle with it a lot.”
The documentary trailer features emotional interviews with Joann’s siblings, Jaah and Robert Kelly Jr., along with their mother, Drea. In a poignant moment, Drea states, “What he did to me, he did to me. But you didn’t have to do it to my damn kids.”
Responding to these serious allegations, R. Kelly’s lawyer, Jennifer Bonjean, issued a statement to PEOPLE, categorically denying the claims. “Mr. Kelly vehemently denies these allegations,” she stated, adding that similar claims made by his ex-wife years ago were investigated by the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services and deemed unfounded. Bonjean criticized the filmmakers for not reaching out to Kelly for his side of the story.
Joann is one of R. Kelly’s three children with Drea, whom he married from 1996 to 2009. In February 2023, R. Kelly was sentenced to 20 years in prison, which he will serve concurrently with a prior 30-year sentence from a separate case in New York.
R. Kelly, renowned for his hit “I Believe I Can Fly,” has consistently denied any wrongdoing throughout his career, but these latest allegations add a profound new layer to the ongoing discussion surrounding abuse and accountability within families.
