R. Kelly’s Daughter Buku Abi Breaks Her Silence On…
Navigating life as the kid of a global famous person 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 at the moment reclaiming her narrative and proving that therapeutic isn’t linear. In a susceptible new sit-down on Reginae Carter’s Heir Time show, the 27-year-old singer opened up about the bittersweet actuality of her household’s public battle for justice and the advanced feelings she still carries for her father.
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For Abi, the choice to communicate out alongside her mom, Andrea Kelly, in the Surviving R. Kelly documentary collection was a catalyst for both freedom and a brutal public backlash. While the world watched the fallout, Abi was combating for her life behind the scenes.
The choice to go public with allegations of abuse was never about consideration for Abi. During the interview, she explained that supporting her mom’s alternative to seem in the viral documentary was important for her mom’s peace of thoughts, even if it meant the household 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Karma: A Daughter’s Journey, Abi shared the harrowing declare that her father molested her when she was just 8 years outdated. That trauma triggered a years-long downward spiral that included self-harm and a number of suicide makes an attempt. Abi candidly admitted that she finally ended up in a psychiatric ward because she hit a breaking level where she no longer needed to live.
R. Kelly’s Daughter Reports Still Loving Her Father Despite Rocky Relationship
The journey to stability hasn’t been simple, and R. Kelly’s daughter didn’t draw back 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 closely on marijuana and alcohol as coping mechanisms to numb the pain and the fixed noise of social media.
Today, her focus has shifted toward spirituality and more healthy boundaries. “I try my best to just keep my focus on God,” she shared, noting that reminding herself of one thing greater than her own trauma helps her navigate her hardest days.
Perhaps the most polarizing half of the interview was Abi’s declaration of love for her father. Despite the allegations and his current incarceration for racketeering and intercourse trafficking, she made it clear that her emotions 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 additional distinguished between the artist and the human being, stating that while she helps his musical legacy, she believes everybody has a duty to uphold their humanity. Her message to the public was simple: the Simmons/Kelly household is real, their pain is unscripted, and they deserve grace as they continue to heal from a actuality that most may never survive.
As Abi strikes ahead with her own music profession and life as a mom, she is proving that being R. Kelly’s daughter is just one half of her id, and not the entire story.
Watch the full interview of Buku Abi on Reginae Carter’s Heir Time below.
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