uku Abi, the daughter of disgraced R&B singer R. Kelly, has come forward with allegations of sexual abuse by her father during her childhood. The allegations are detailed in a new two-part documentary titled “R. Kelly’s Karma: A Daughter’s Journey,” which aired on TVEI Streaming Network.
Buku Abi, born Joann Kelly, shared her harrowing experience, stating she was “too scared to tell anybody” about the abuse, which she claims occurred when she was between 8 and 9 years old. “I remember waking up to him touching me,” she recounted in the documentary, describing her reaction to the abuse. “I didn’t know what to do, so I just kind of laid there, and I pretended to be asleep.”
The documentary marks the first time Abi has publicly spoken about the alleged abuse, although she had previously voiced support for survivors of her father’s abuse. After the incident, she confided in her mother, Andrea Kelly, in 2009 when she was 10 years old, leading to a police report. However, due to the delay in reporting, legal action against Kelly could not proceed at that time.
R. Kelly, who has been serving multiple sentences for convictions related to child pornography, enticement of minors for sex, and racketeering, vehemently denies these new allegations through his attorney, Jennifer Bonjean. Bonjean stated, “Mr. Kelly vehemently denies these allegations,” emphasizing that if there were any merit to these claims, they would have been part of his prior indictments.
This accusation adds another layer to the already complex and disturbing legacy of R. Kelly, once known as the “King of R&B,” whose career took a nosedive after multiple allegations and subsequent convictions for sexual misconduct. Abi‘s disclosure comes after years of legal battles and public scrutiny surrounding R. Kelly‘s behaviour, particularly highlighted in the 2019 docuseries “Surviving R. Kelly.”
The impact on Buku Abi has been profound. “I really feel like that one millisecond completely just changed my whole life and changed who I was as a person, and changed the sparkle I had and the light I used to carry,” she expressed, shedding light on the psychological trauma she has endured.
This revelation has reignited discussions on the accountability of celebrities and the long-term effects of childhood trauma. As the legal system has already sentenced R. Kelly for related crimes, this new allegation might not lead to further legal repercussions due to the statute of limitations and previous legal outcomes. However, it significantly contributes to the public and cultural reckoning with R. Kelly‘s actions.