Earlier today, TVEI Streaming Network unveiled its new two-episode documentary, Karma: A Daughter’s Journey. In it, R Kelly’s daughter Buku Abi opens up about the abuse she allegedly faced at the hands of her father. Abi, born Joann Kelly, took the opportunity to reveal that she was allegedly sexually abused by him during her childhood.
“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 that he would do something to me,” she alleged. “I was too scared to tell anybody, I was too scared to tell my mom.” Abi continued, describing how the alleged abuse has had a lasting impact on her life.
Buku Abi Discusses Her Father In New Documentary
“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… I just remember waking up to him touching me. And I didn’t know what to do, so I just kind of laid there, and I pretended to be asleep,” she alleged. Abi also alleged that she and her mother later tried to file an anonymous police report. Ultimately, she alleges that Kelly was not prosecuted because the statute of limitations had passed.
In a statement to PEOPLE, R Kelly’s attorney Jennifer Bonjean denied the allegations on his behalf. “Mr. Kelly vehemently denies these allegations,” she told the outlet earlier today. “His ex-wife made the same allegation years ago, and it was investigated by the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services and was unfounded… And the ‘filmmakers,’ whoever they are, did not reach out to Mr. Kelly or his team to even allow him to deny these hurtful claims.” Share your thoughts in the comments section down below and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
About The Author
Caroline Fisher is a News Writer at HotNewHipHop from Chicago, Illinois. She started at HNHH this year, and has since spent her time writing about all that is newsworthy in the world of hip-hop. With a drive for hunting down the hottest stories, she enjoys documenting new developments in culture and entertainment. She also has an appreciation for hip-hop and seeks to cover the most important trends and shifts.
She has a Bachelor of Arts which she received at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Having graduated in 2022, she majored in English with a concentration in Media, Rhetoric and Cultural Studies.
Specializing all things music, pop culture and entertainment, some of her favorite musical artists include Snoop Dogg, OutKast, and Nicki Minaj. When she’s not writing about music she’s also a fan of attending shows, watching the latest movies, staying up-to-date with current events, photography, and poetry.
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