R. Kelly’s Daughter Joanne Kelly Reveals Pain Of Being Incarcerated Singer’s Child
Joanne Kelly, the daughter of R. Kelly, is finally breaking her silence about her father in a deeply emotional way. In a new documentary titled R Kelly’s Karma: A Daughter’s Journey, Joanne opens up about the profound impact her father’s convictions have had on her life. She reveals how being the child of a man convicted of multiple sex crimes has changed her in ways she never imagined.
In the trailer for the documentary, Joanne, 26, speaks candidly about their strained and broken relationship. “Nobody wants to be the child of the father that is out here hurting women and children,” she says.
Reflecting on their relationship, Joanne admits that her father knows why they can’t have the bond they once had. “He knows exactly why we can’t have the relationship we would have liked to have with him.”
The trailer, released on September 29, shows Joanne, who appears to be pregnant, getting visibly emotional as she reflects on her memories of her father. “He was my everything,” she says through tears.
“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, he would do something to me,” she added.
The documentary delves into how Kelly’s actions have altered Joanne’s life forever. “I really feel like that one millisecond just changed my whole life,” she says, referring to Kelly’s conviction. Looking forward to her role as a mother, Joanne adds, “If my son asks questions, I’m going to be as truthful as possible. And I will not be taking my son to prison to meet his grandfather.”
Drea Kelly, R. Kelly’s ex-wife and the mother of Joanne and her siblings, also makes an appearance in the documentary. In a tearful clip, Drea, 50, opens up about the pain her children have endured because of Kelly’s actions. “Just because you’re not a good husband doesn’t mean you can’t be a good father. And the fact that he didn’t even try. What he did to me, he did to me. But you didn’t have to do it to my damn kids,” Drea says.
Joanne’s siblings, Jaah Kelly and Robert Kelly Jr., also share their perspectives in the film through “raw, emotional interviews.” According to the documentary’s synopsis, the film uncovers the harsh realities of growing up in the shadow of one of the most controversial figures in music.
R Kelly’s Karma: A Daughter’s Journey will premiere on October 11 on the Tvei Network, promising to deliver an inside look at the emotional and dark journey that Joanne and her family have experienced.
R. Kelly, once a celebrated R&B singer, has faced legal battles for years. In February 2023, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison for child pornography and enticing minors for sex. This was on top of a 30-year sentence he received in 2021 for racketeering and sex trafficking, making it a total of 31 years behind bars. Kelly had faced allegations for decades and was even acquitted of child-pornography charges in 2008. But after his 2019 arrest, it became clear just how extensive his crimes were. Prosecutors revealed that Kelly and his team had been recruiting young women and girls to engage in illegal sexual activities with him as far back as 1999.
