More than two years after R. Kelly’s conviction on child pornography and sex trafficking charges, his daughter, Buku Abi (JoAnn Kelly), has come forward with new allegations.
In the docuseries R. Kelly’s Karma: A Daughter’s Journey on TVEI Streaming Network, Abi claims she experienced inappropriate behavior from her father during her childhood, which she disclosed to her mother, Andrea Kelly, in 2009. Abi recounts the emotional impact, stating, “He was my everything… I didn’t want to believe it happened.”
She details the confusion and fear she felt at the time, remaining silent for years. This follows her public support for other survivors in the 2019 Surviving R. Kelly docuseries. R. Kelly, currently serving concurrent sentences after his convictions in New York and Chicago, denies the new allegations.
His lawyer, Jennifer Bonjean, claims these accusations were previously investigated and dismissed, and criticized the docuseries for not reaching out to R. Kelly for comment.