R. Kelly’s Daughter Buku Abi Talks Love And Accountability
Navigating life as the child of a global superstar is hard enough, but doing so under the shadow of a 30-year prison sentence and a legacy of trauma is a burden few can understand. R. Kelly's daughter, Buku Abi (born Joann Kelly), is currently taking back her story and proving that healing is not linear. In a vulnerable new sit-down on Reginae Carter's Mr. Time show, the 27-year-old singer opened up about the bittersweet reality of her family's public fight 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 fought for her life behind the scenes.
The decision to go public with allegations of abuse was never about attention for Abi. During the interviewShe explained that supporting her mother's choice to appear in the viral documentary was essential to her mother's peace, 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 kind of way. I'm actually glad she did,” Abi told Reginae. “However, the setback of that on my family was really hard to go through. So, it's bittersweet.”
In her own documentaries, R. Kelly's Karma: A Daughter's JourneyAbi shared the terrifying claim that her father molested her when she was just 8 years old. That trauma caused a years-long downward spiral that included self-harm and multiple suicide attempts. Abi honestly admitted that she ended up in a psychiatric ward because she hit a breaking point where she didn't want to live anymore.
R. Kelly's daughter still reports from her father despite Rocky Relationship
The journey to stability hasn't been easy, and R. Kelly's daughter doesn't shy away from discussing her past struggles with substance abuse. According to The Greenthey clarify that while they never turned to “hard drugs,” they lean heavily on marijuana and alcohol as coping mechanisms to numb the pain and constant noise of social media.
Today, her focus has shifted to 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 toughest days.
Perhaps the most polarizing part of the interview was Abi's declaration of love for her father. Despite the allegations and his current prison sentence for racketeering and sex trafficking, she made it clear that her feelings are not black and white.
“I love my father, okay? It's a big misconception that there's hatred 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 doesn't reflect how I feel about that man. I love my father.”
She further distinguished between the artist and the human, stating that while she supports his musical legacy, she believes that everyone has a responsibility to keep their humanity. Her message to the audience was simple: the Simmons/Kelly family is real, their pain is unscripted, and they deserve mercy 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 proves that being R. Kelly's daughter is only one part of her identity, and not the whole story.
Watch Buku Abi's full interview on Reginae Carter's Mr. Time under.
