Joann Kelly, daughter of R. Kelly, has revealed allegations of s3xua abuse by her father during her childhood. In the documentary series “Karma: A Daughter’s Journey,” Joann recounts her experience, stating that she first disclosed the abuse to her mother, Drea, in 2009.
She also shared her emotional struggle in coming to terms with the allegations, initially finding it difficult to believe her father could harm her.
Joann described the profound impact the experience had on her life, stating that it changed her as a person and deeply affected her relationships with her family.
In her words; “My father was my everything. For a long time, I didn’t want to believe that it happened. I didn’t know that he would do something to me even if he was a bad person.
“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.
“After I told my mom, I didn’t go over there anymore; my brother (Robert) and sister (Jaah) we didn’t go over there anymore. And even up until now I struggle with it a lot.”
In response to the documentary, R. Kelly’s lawyer, Jennifer Bonjean, publicly denied the allegations. The singer, already facing legal consequences, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in February 2023 for child pornography and enticement charges.
This sentence will run concurrently with a previous 30-year prison term from a separate case in New York, handed down on July 29, 2022.