Navigating life as the child of a global superstar is heavy enough, but doing so under the shadow of a 30-year prison sentence and a legacy of trauma is a burden few can comprehend. R. Kelly’s daughter, Buku Abi (born Joann Kelly), is currently reclaiming her narrative and proving that healing isn’t linear. In a vulnerable new sit-down on Reginae Carter’s Heir Time show, the 27-year-old singer opened up about the bittersweet reality of her family’s public battle for justice and the complex emotions she still carries for her father.
For Abi, the decision to speak out alongside her mother, Andrea Kelly, in the Surviving R. Kelly documentary series was a catalyst for both freedom and a brutal public backlash. While the world watched the fallout, Abi was fighting for her life behind the scenes.
The decision to go public with allegations of abuse was never about attention for Abi. During the interview, she explained that supporting her mother’s choice to appear in the viral documentary was essential for her mother’s peace of mind, even if it meant the family had to endure a firestorm of scrutiny.
“She needed that. So, as a person, I don’t feel any type of way. I’m actually happy that she did that,” Abi told Reginae. “However, the backlash of that on my family was really hard to go through. So, it’s bittersweet.”
In her own docuseries, R. Kelly’s Karma: A Daughter’s Journey, Abi shared the harrowing claim that her father molested her when she was just 8 years old. That trauma triggered a years-long downward spiral that included self-harm and multiple suicide attempts. Abi candidly admitted that she eventually ended up in a psychiatric ward because she hit a breaking point where she no longer wanted to live.
R. Kelly’s Daughter Reports Still Loving Her Father Despite Rocky Relationship
The journey to stability hasn’t been easy, and R. Kelly’s daughter didn’t shy away from discussing her past struggles with substance abuse. According to The Grio, she clarified that while she never turned to “hard drugs,” she did lean heavily on marijuana and alcohol as coping mechanisms to numb the pain and the constant noise of social media.
Today, her focus has shifted toward spirituality and healthier boundaries. “I try my best to just keep my focus on God,” she shared, noting that reminding herself of something bigger than her own trauma helps her navigate her hardest days.
Perhaps the most polarizing part of the interview was Abi’s declaration of love for her father. Despite the allegations and his current incarceration for racketeering and sex trafficking, she made it clear that her feelings aren’t black and white.
“I love my father, okay? It’s a big misconception that there is hate or animosity towards him,” Abi shared. “At the end of the day, I went through what I went through… and I’m going to hold people accountable. However, that does not reflect how I feel about that man. I love my dad.”
She further distinguished between the artist and the human being, stating that while she supports his musical legacy, she believes everyone has a responsibility to uphold their humanity. Her message to the public was simple: the Simmons/Kelly family is real, their pain is unscripted, and they deserve grace as they continue to heal from a reality that most could never survive.
As Abi moves forward with her own music career and life as a mother, she is proving that being R. Kelly’s daughter is just one part of her identity, and not the whole story.
Watch the full interview of Buku Abi on Reginae Carter’s Heir Time below.
