Buku Abi, the daughter of R. Kelly, has publicly alleged that the singer sexually abused her during her childhood. Her revelations came to light in a recent documentary aired on the TVEI Streaming Network.
The 26-year-old, who has been grappling with the trauma of her experiences, stated that she was too fearful to confide in her mother about the abuse. “He was my everything. For a long time, I didn’t even want to believe that it happened. I didn’t know that even if he was a bad person, he would do something to me,” she shared, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
Buku’s mother, Drea Kelly, supported her daughter’s claims, expressing her anguish over the situation. “What he did to me, he did to me. But you didn’t have to do it to my damn kids,” she said, highlighting the emotional toll the situation has taken on their family.
Buku Abi spoke candidly about the lasting effects of the alleged abuse, stating, “I really feel like that one millisecond completely just changed my whole life… After I told my mom, I didn’t go over there anymore. My brother [Robert] and sister [Jaah] and I didn’t go over there anymore. And even up until now, I struggle with it a lot.”
R. Kelly’s attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, refuted the allegations, suggesting that Drea Kelly had made similar claims in the past that were investigated by the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services and ultimately deemed “unfounded.” Bonjean also criticized the documentary creators for not allowing R. Kelly the opportunity to respond to what she termed “hurtful claims.”
R. Kelly has been incarcerated since 2021, serving lengthy sentences for multiple sexual offenses.
