R. Kelly’s daughter, Buku Abi, recently opened up about the alleged sexual abuse she experienced as a child. In a documentary titled R. Kelly’s Karma: A Daughter’s Journey, she revealed that the singer sexually abused her when she was just 8 or 9 years old. This traumatic experience led to a dark period in her life, where she struggled mentally and even attempted to take her own life multiple times.
Abi shared that she ended up in a mental hospital after expressing to her mother that she was not okay. She spent two and a half weeks in the hospital on suicide watch and then continued with outpatient care for several months. The 26-year-old musician also recounted a difficult conversation she had with her mother when she noticed her self-harm scars while shopping at Target.
These revelations come in the wake of other allegations of abuse against R. Kelly, including claims of molestation by his daughter. While Abi stands by her story, Kelly denies the allegations, with his attorney stating that similar claims were previously investigated and found to be unfounded.
R. Kelly is currently serving time in prison for racketeering, sex trafficking, child pornography, and enticing minors for sex. He received a 30-year sentence for the first set of charges and an additional 20-year sentence for the latter. With concurrent sentencing, he is expected to be eligible for release in 2045.
If you or someone you know is struggling, there are resources available to help. You can contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling 988 or reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. Additionally, texting HOME to 741741 or visiting SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources can provide additional support and information.