R. Kelly's daughter Buku Abi accuses singer of sexually abusing her as a child
by Danielle de Wolfe · LBCBy Danielle de Wolfe
The daughter of disgraced singer R. Kelly has accused the singer of sexually abusing her as a child.
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Buku Abi, 26, made the claim as part of a new two-episode documentary Karma: A Daughter’s Journey, accusing the singer of abusing her when she was around eight or nine years old.
R. Kelly, 57, Robert Kelly, was jailed in June 2022 for racketeering and sex trafficking after decades of avoiding criminal responsibility over misconduct allegations involving young women and children.
The disgraced singer was sentenced to 30 years after being found guilty of creating a scheme to entice and sexually exploit young aspiring singers and underage children.
Abi first reported the singer's alleged abuse to her mother in 2009, when she was around 10 years old.
The accusations come as fellow musical heavyweight 'P Diddy' made a sombre appearance in court for his trial date to be set in a sex trafficking case.
"He was my everything. For a long time, I didn’t even want to believe that it happened," Abi said of her father during the documentary.
"I didn’t know that even if he was a bad person that he would do something to me," she added.
LBC has contacted R Kelly's lawyers for comment following the allegations.
Prosecutors had previously asked that the star was imprisoned for at least 25 years as part of the trial, which saw the star jailed for 30 years just over two years ago.
Kelly's lawyers had attempted a last ditch bid to acquit the singer and demand a retrial, after arguing his client's defence team were ineffective and that prosecutors had "misused" the racketeering charge.
The motion was denied by the judge.
Read more: Rapper ‘P Diddy’ faces sexual misconduct allegations from 120 new people, lawyer says
A jury of seven men and five women had previously found Kelly guilty of racketeering, charges based on an argument that the entourage of managers and aides who helped the singer meet girls - and keep them obedient and quiet - amounted to a criminal enterprise.
Several accusers testified in lurid detail during the trial, alleging that Kelly subjected them to perverse and sadistic whims when they were underage.
It comes as Sean "Diddy" Combs appeared before Judge Arun Subramanian in Manhattan federal court on Thursday.
After entering the courtroom, he was seen hugging each of his lawyers.
His mother, Janice Smalls Combs, attended the hearing along with his daughters, Chance, D'Lila, and Jessie Combs.
Last month, he was charged with racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking based on allegations that go back to 2008.