R. Kelly’s daughter considered taking her own life as Internet trolls took aim at her following her father's latest sexual abuse allegations.
Growing Up Hip-Hop: Atlanta reality star Joann Kelly, who raps as Buku Abi, admits the toxic attacks on her following the release of damning docu-series Surviving R. Kelly took a toll on her mental health.
"People don’t realise how bad that hurts," the 21 year old says on social media. "It’s like, 'I didn’t do anything. I didn’t ask to be here'."
Asked how bad the abuse got, she replied: "To the point where I almost tried to take my life. Like, that is heavy s**t."
Abi added that other people’s behaviour towards her has been affected by the allegations against Kelly for years: "I’ve had parents not let their children hang out with me," she explains. "I’m sad and I have the right to be sad."
Her mother, Drea Kelly, who was married to the singer from 1996 to 2009, also appeared on TV show Growing Up Hip-Hop: Atlanta, and explained how difficult it has been to protect her children from the hate directed towards her ex.
"It’s hard as a mother. You want to protect your children from the scandal, from the headline, from the paparazzi, and just from trolls and hating people," she said. "But it’s even harder when you can’t protect them from the world and you can’t protect them from the pain that comes with having the father that they have."
The 52-year-old R&B singer was arrested for the third time this year in Chicago, Illinois on Thursday (11Jul19) and charged with 13 new federal sex trafficking charges. He has already pleaded not guilty to more than 20 sexual abuse offences, some against minors.
