Current:Home > MarketsR. Kelly's Daughter Joann Kelly to Share a "Heartbreaking Secret" in Upcoming Documentary -ForexStream
R. Kelly's Daughter Joann Kelly to Share a "Heartbreaking Secret" in Upcoming Documentary
PredictIQ View
Date:2025-04-07 20:53:36
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! (8761)
Related
- Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
- Jennifer Lopez, Sofia Richie and More Stars Turn Heads at Ralph Lauren's NYFW 2024 Show
- A southern Swiss region votes on a plan to fast-track big solar parks on Alpine mountainsides
- Police announce 2 more confirmed sightings of escaped murderer on the run in Pennsylvania
- The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds
- Israeli army kills 16-year-old Palestinian in West Bank, claiming youths threw explosives
- On ‘João’, Brazilian singer Bebel Gilberto honors her late father, bossa nova giant João Gilberto
- How to watch NFL RedZone: Stream providers, start time, cost, host, more
- The city of Chicago is ordered to pay nearly $80M for a police chase that killed a 10
- GMA's Robin Roberts Marries Amber Laign
Ranking
- $73.5M beach replenishment project starts in January at Jersey Shore
- Mary Kay Letourneau and Vili Fualaau's Daughter Is Pregnant With First Baby
- 'A son never forgets.' How Bengals star DJ Reader lost his dad but found himself
- NFL Notebook: How will partnership between Russell Wilson and Sean Payton work in Denver?
- US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
- Powerful earthquake strikes Morocco, causing shaking in much of the country
- Judge denies Mark Meadows’ request to move his Georgia election subversion case to federal court
- Alito rejects Democrats' demands to step aside from upcoming Supreme Court case
Recommendation
Bill Belichick's salary at North Carolina: School releases football coach's contract details
Adam Sandler's Sweet Bond With Daughters Sadie and Sunny Is Better Than Shampoo and Conditioner
Hundreds of Pride activists march in Serbia despite hate messages sent by far-right officials
US-backed Kurdish fighters say battles with tribesmen in eastern Syria that killed dozens have ended
DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
Ben Shelton's US Open run shows he is a star on the rise who just might change the game
Philips Respironics agrees to $479 million CPAP settlement
Alito rejects Democrats' demands to step aside from upcoming Supreme Court case