Kaylah Walton
In a shocking disclosure, Buku Abi, the firstborn of R. Kelly, has alleged that her father abused her. In the docuseries titled “Karma: A Daughter’s Journey,” Abi, known previously as Joann Kelly, shares the distressing experiences she faced as a young girl. She accuses the convicted artist of molesting her when she was about 8 or 9 years old.
With tears in her eyes, the 26-year-old artist recalls, “I just remember waking up to him touching me.” Abi, who is the daughter of Drea Kelly, describes a paralyzing mix of fear and disbelief during those moments. “I didn’t know what to do, so I just kind of laid there and pretended to be asleep,” she confesses.
Abi admits the reality was hard to face as R. Kelly was her “everything.” She was too terrified to confide in anyone, even her mother. “I didn’t know that, even if he was a bad person, that he would do something to me,” she reflects.
Denials and Legal Matters
R. Kelly’s legal representatives have categorically rejected Abi’s claims. Jennifer Bonjean, his attorney, argued that similar allegations from his ex-wife were investigated and deemed unsubstantiated. She also criticized the creators of the docuseries for failing to contact Kelly or his team to refute these accusations.
Despite these assertions of innocence, R. Kelly is currently serving a 30-year prison term for racketeering and breaches of the Mann Act, which forbids transporting “any woman or girl” across state lines.
