R. Kelly's daughter was trolled for not speaking out about his victims. Now she says she was one of them.

After years evading allegations of abuse, including possessing child pornography and assaulting minors, R. Kelly was finally convicted and sentenced to prison in 2022. 

Two years on, another victim has come forward with their alleged experience. This time, it's his daughter. 

Buku Abi, birth name Joann Kelly, who is the daughter of R. Kelly and his ex-wife Andrea Kelly, recently shared her experience of sexual abuse at the hands of her father in a two-part documentary entitled R. Kelly's Karma: A Daughter's Journey.  

Buku Abi and Drea Kelly attend WE tv "Power, Influence & Hip Hop: The Remarkable Rise Of So So Def" celebration. Image: Getty

During the show's first part, Abi spoke about the alleged abuse, which happened when she was only 8 or 9, explaining how it completely changed her life. She also spoke about the fear she felt, and how it stopped her from telling anybody about it until she was 10 years old, when she first confided in her mother.  

"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 said.

"I was too scared to tell anybody. I was too scared to tell my mom."

Abi continued: "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.

"After I told my mom, I didn't go over there anymore. My brother and sister, we didn't go over there anymore. And even up until now I struggle with it a lot."

In the second part of the documentary, Abi detailed the alleged abuse itself. 

"I just remember waking up to him touching me," she recalled crying. "And I didn't know what to do, so I just kind of laid there, and I pretended to be asleep."

After Abi told her mother what had happened, the two allegedly went to the police and filed a report under the name of Jane Doe, but claim "they couldn't prosecute him because I waited too long." 

She continued: "So at that point in my life, I felt like I said something for nothing."

Abi, who is a mother herself now, has been adamant that her son will have nothing to do with Kelly.

"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," she said. 

In 2019, when allegations from other victims started pouring out against Kelly, the internet was quick to call his daughter our for not speaking on the matter.

At the time, Abi released a lengthy video to her Instagram Story, explaining that while she does not support or condone any of Kelly's behaviour and confirming that she does not speak to him anymore, the situation is a complicated one for her and her family to process.

Watch the Surviving R. Kelly trailer. Article continues after video.

"The same monster you all confronting me about is my father," she said.

"I am well aware of who and what he is. I grew up in that house. My choice to not speak on him and what he does is for my peace of mind. My emotional state. And for MY healing. I have to do & move in a manner that is best for me. I pray anyone who reads this understands I put nothing but good intent behind each word."

Abi's mother, Drea Kelly has previously spoken about her alleged abusive relationship with Kelly, accusing him of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. 

"[He could be set off by] anything from the milk being too cold or not cold enough for breakfast. It could be anything from, 'I told you not to wear that — it's too revealing.' It could be if I answered him the wrong way, if he felt there was too much tone in my voice," she told The View in 2018.

Kelly has vehemently denied the claims made against him by Abi.

"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," his attorney Jennifer Bonjean told PEOPLE.

R. Kelly at a hearing in 2019. Image: Getty.

Abi's allegations are just the latest in a series of accusations against Kelly.

In 2002, Kelly was accused of producing child sexual abuse images. He was arrested, but charges were later dropped after a judge claimed that the police lacked sufficient evidence to warrant a search of his home. 

In 2017, a new wave of allegations surfaced, some pertaining to allegedly trapping women in a 'sex cult' and others around physical and sexual abuse. Between 2017 and 2018, victims started to come forward to the press with more stories.

One woman, Jerhonda Pace broke an NDA and shared her experience about having sex with Kelly while she was still underage. She went on to testify during Kelly's trial in 2021. 

The release of the documentary Surviving R. Kelly in 2019 which documented the allegations over the years against Kelly, prompted his record label to drop him as well as his concerts in the US and New Zealand being cancelled. The singer went on to have one of the most prominent trials on sex charges during the #MeToo movement.

In 2022, Kelly was convicted of producing child sexual abuse images and three charges of enticement of minors for sex. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison for racketeering and sex trafficking charges.

The following year, he was handed a 20-year prison sentence for child pornography and the enticement of minors for sex.

Kelly is currently serving out 19 years of his two sentences together.

Feature image: Getty / Instagram/buku.abi.