R. Kelly’s Daughter Joann ‘Buku Abi’ Kelly Pens Emotional Letter to Her Younger Self Reflecting on Trauma and Healing

R. Kelly’s daughter, Joann ‘Buku Abi’ Kelly,  just shared an emotional letter to her younger self, reflecting on the trauma she experienced and the strength she’s found after finally speaking out about her father’s alleged sexual abuse.

In a deeply personal post shared to Instagram, she opened up about the pain, healing, and the journey she’s been on since revealing her truth.

“Hey Baby girl… It’s me, you. We’re 26 now. I know you didn’t even think you’d make it past 15 but you did. I know you’re probably wondering how we made it here and what we’re doing now. You wouldn’t believe it lol.”

She acknowledged the darkness she faced growing up but celebrated the resilience she built: “You finally told everyone… I know, I know. We swore we wouldn’t. But it wasn’t good for us anymore.”

“Please don’t be angry with me, but I had to,” she wrote. “You have a light in you and if I didn’t let it all go, your light would have went out.”

Buku’s letter didn’t just focus on her past, but she spoke about moving forward and embracing joy.

“This is just the beginning. Just know you are safe and sound now. Go run and play, dance like no one is watching… laugh when you feel that little tickle in your stomach, love on your family, love on your friends, take care of yourself ‘cause you’re so fucking cool. We are so fucking cool.”

As you know, In 2021, R. Kelly was convicted of racketeering and sex trafficking and sentenced to 30 years in prison. In 2022, he was found guilty of child pornography and sexual exploitation, which added another 20 years to his sentence.

He is currently serving 19 years of both sentences concurrently and is eligible for release in 2045 when he will be 78 years old.

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