Buku Abi has been quiet about her father's sexual assault allegations in the past.
R. Kelly’s estranged daughter, Buku Abi, is asking the public to keep her and her family separate from her father’s allegations of sexual assault.
Abi, whose real name is Joann Kelly, took to Instagram stories to explain why it’s taken her so long to speak out.
“The same monster you all confronting me about is my father,” Abi wrote. “I am well aware of who and what he is. I grew up in that house."
She also went on to say she, her two siblings and her mom have not seen or spoken to her musician father in years.
“Anyone who knows me personally or has been following me throughout the years knows that I do not have a relationship with my father,” Abi said. “My mother, siblings and I would never condone, support or be a part of anything negative he has done or continues to do in his life.”
Her mom, Andrea “Drea” Kelly, who married R. Kelly when she was 22, also claimed he was abusive and controlling in the later stages of their 13-year-relationship, in the candid docuseries "Surviving R. Kelly," which premiered on Lifetime TV earlier this month.
“Reminders of how terrible my father is … does not help my family,” she said. “Nor does it allow a safe space for other victims who are scared to speak up, speak up.”
Abi said she and her family have been scrutinized in the past for “his life decisions, and his last name,” and the family has largely kept silent over allegations of his sexual abuse over the years for the sake of their own “peace of mind.”
“I pray for all the families & women who have been affected by my father’s actions,” she said. “Trust I’ve been deeply affected by all of this.”
A spokesperson for Kelly, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, has previously said allegations in the documentary are false. Kelly has consistently denied all allegations of physical abuse and sexual assault over the years.
InsideEdition.com’s requests to Kelly’s representatives for comment have gone unanswered.
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