Buku Abi, the daughter of R. Kelly, has openly revealed the claimed abuse she endured from her father during her childhood in a brand-new two-part documentary, Karma: A Daughter’s Journey, which made its debut today, October 11.
At the age of 26, Abi reveals that her father abused her when she was a child, a matter she first shared with her mother, Andrea, in 2009 when she was just ten years old.
“I really feel like that one millisecond completely just changed my whole life and changed who I was as a person and changed the sparkle I had and the light I used to carry,” she says. “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 the documentary, available for streaming right now, she expresses her struggle, admitting that her father, whom she held so close, could harm her. She confesses that fear held her back from sharing her ordeal with others, even her mother.
Abi, born Joann Kelly, doesn’t elaborate on the nature of the abuse in the initial episode but does express her belief that jail is a suitable place for her 57-year-old father from her own experience.
She recounts how this incident deeply affected her life and personality, diminishing the light she once had within her. She ceased visits to her father’s place, along with her siblings, Robert and Jaah, and mentioned the constant struggle she has with it till today.
In the second episode, Abi provides a more detailed account of the abuse that she endured at 8 or 9 years old. Recalling the traumatic episode where she woke up to him touching her, she explains her futile attempt to feign sleep.
She further added, “I just remember waking up to him touching me,” she recalls, crying. “And I didn’t know what to do, so I just kind of laid there, and I pretended to be asleep.”
After eventually confiding in her mother, they proceeded to file a police complaint using the alias “Jane Doe.” She, however, felt her effort was in vain as they couldn’t prosecute him due to the prolonged time-lapse.
R. Kelly’s attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, has refuted these allegations in a recent statement to People. She pointed out that similar allegations were made by his ex-wife years back, which were investigated and proven baseless by the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services. She also criticised the filmmakers for failing to solicit a response from Kelly and his team.
Here’s what Kelly’s attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, said: “Mr. Kelly vehemently denies these allegations. His ex-wife made the same allegation years ago, and it was investigated by the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services and was unfounded… And the ‘filmmakers,’ whoever they are, did not reach out to Mr. Kelly or his team to even allow him to deny these hurtful claims.”
In February 2023, Kelly was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment in Chicago on charges related to child pornography and enticing minors for sexual activities.
The previous year, he received a 30-year sentence for racketeering and sex trafficking charges in New York. He is currently serving 19 years concurrently from the two sentences and is due for release in the year 2045.
