Buku Abi, the daughter of singer R. Kelly, has claimed in a recent two-part documentary series that she was sexually abused by her father when she was young.

In the “Karma: A Daughter’s Journey” series, Abi, whose real name is Joann Kelly and who is the daughter of Kelly and his ex-wife Andrea “Drea” Kelly, shared her experiences of the alleged abuse.

“He meant everything to me. For a long time, I couldn’t bring myself to accept that it really happened. I never imagined he could do something like that, even if he had flaws,” Abi says in the documentary. She revealed that she “was terrified to tell anyone, especially my mom.”

She remarked: “I feel like that split second completely altered the course of my life, changing who I was and dimming the spark I used to have.” Abi mentioned that after confiding in her mother, she and her siblings stopped visiting their father.

In response to these allegations, R. Kelly’s lawyer Jennifer Bonjean stated to People magazine, “Mr. Kelly categorically denies these claims. This allegation was previously made by his ex-wife and found to be unsubstantiated after an investigation by the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services. The filmmakers did not reach out to Mr. Kelly or his team to give him a chance to refute these damaging accusations.”

YSL News has sought comments from representatives of R. Kelly and the documentary.

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review R. Kelly’s appeal against his 2022 federal conviction linked to child pornography and luring underage girls for sexual acts. He is currently serving a 20-year sentence and has been cleared of seven other charges, including obstruction of justice and conspiracy related to child pornography.

Buku Abi Describes a Transformation Following Alleged Abuse

Throughout the series, Abi provides chilling accounts of the alleged sexual abuse, indicating it took place when she was around 8 or 9 years old.

“I vividly remember waking up to his touch,” she shared with tears. “I was unsure how to react, so I just stayed still and pretended to be asleep.” She added that from that day forward, “I was no longer the same person.”

Abi has mentioned that coming to terms with the incident was a struggle, and she felt it was necessary to inform her mother. She described the impact of her confession as “shattering” for her mother, Drea Kelly.

Abi is one of three children R. Kelly shares with Drea Kelly, and they were married from 1996 until 2009.

In 2019, the singer, known for “I Believe I Can Fly,” caused a stir with a video posted on social media wishing his estranged daughter a happy birthday and expressing his love, regardless of circumstances.

R. Kelly Faced Backlash for ‘Inappropriately’ Singing Birthday Greetings to Estranged Daughter

As a means of establishing her independence, Abi chose to go by a different name, distancing herself from her father’s legacy. In January 2019, she took to social media to label her father a “monster” and noted that her siblings and she had not had contact with him for years. She publicly reflected on their strained relationship in light of serious accusations against him that surfaced in Lifetime’s “Surviving R. Kelly” documentary.

“R. Kelly’s Karma: A Daughter’s Journey” is currently available for streaming on the TVEI Streaming Network.

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline provides 24/7 free and confidential support to survivors and their families in both English and Spanish at 800.656.HOPE (4673) or online at Hotline.RAINN.org as well as in Spanish at RAINN.org/es.