On Thursday, R. Kelly was out walking his dog when he was stopped and arrested. We reported on the 52-year-old singer being charged with 13 federal counts related to obstruction of justice, enticement of a minor to engage in criminal activity, and child pornography. For decades, Kelly has been at the center of accusations that have crippled him both personally and professionally, and when Lifetime's award-winning documentary Surviving R. Kelly was released, opposition against the singer intensified.
There are people who are not often spoken about, but who are directly connected to, the infamy associated with Kelly. His family often bears the brunt of his alleged sins, especially his children who have grown up in the shadows of these heinous accusations. Kelly's ex-wife Drea Kelly and his 21-year-old daughter Buku Abi are newest cast members on Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta, and unsurprisingly the drama surrounding Kelly is the core of their storyline.
In an emotional segment, Abi spoke openly about what it's been like being on the receiving end of cruel messages from strangers who have taken to cyber-bullying. "Having to deal with everything in the media with my father is not easy," she said. "People are constantly like, 'How do you feel about the scandals?' I don't give a f*ck about the scandals. I have an issue with my father. I had to drop out of school. I've had parents not let their children hang out with me. I spend a lot of days, or nights, crying. But, like, damn. I'm sad, and I have the right to be sad."
"Literally the other day I had somebody DM me on Instagram," Buku said to her mother. "She said that she wished you would've been stronger and I was like, 'My mom made the strongest move in the world by leaving him.' Like, if I get a negative comment or people come at me, delete. You're blocked. I'm not even reading it."
"I get that all the time," she continued. "People don't realize how bad...Sorry, guys." She stopped because she began to cry. "People don't realize how bad that hurts, because it's, like, I didn't do anything, you know? I didn't ask to be here....We're still trying to heal from a lot, like, a lot, a lot, to the point where I almost tried to take my life. Like, that is heavy sh*t. And then to turn around and be like, 'Oh, you should not feel that way. You're selfish for feeling that way,' it's just, like, y'all are really heartless."
