R. Kellyshared video of himselfwishing his daughter a happy birthday, weeks after she distanced herself from the allegations facing the singer in a lengthy social media post that branded him a “monster.”
The singer, 52, captioned the video, “Family for life 🎹🎤🙏🏽 🎂.”
Kelly — who was charged in February with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse against four alleged victims —broke down in a recent interviewwith Gayle King onCBS This Morning, telling the host he was desperately fighting through allegations of sexual abuse in order to build a relationship with his children.
“I’m really not really fighting for my career here. I’m fighting for my rights and I’m fighting to have a relationship with my kids most of all, more than anything,” he said.
But Abi has made steps in recent months to distance herself from the star, whom she says she has not seen or spoken to in years.
Shebroke her silenceon the accusations surrounding her estranged father in January, sharing a lengthy message to Instagram condemning Kelly’s actions, which had come under renewed scrutiny with the release of the Lifetime docuseriesSurviving R. Kelly.
R. Kelly, Buku Abi.Earl Gibson III/Getty Images; Good Morning Britain
“To the people that feel I should be speaking up/against everything that is going on right now. I just want you all to understand that devastated is an understatement for all that I feel currently,” she wrote. “I do apologize if my silence to all that is happening comes off as careless.”
Abi went on to clarify that neither she nor her siblings or mother have had a relationship with Kelly in years, and added she typically refrains from posting about her personal life on social media, but felt things were “starting to get out of hand.”
“My mother, siblings and I would never condone, support or be a part of ANYTHING negative he has done and or continues to do in his life,” she wrote.
“The same monster you all confronting me about is my father. I am well aware of who and what he is. I grew up in that house,” she continued.
The singer-songwriter laterappeared alongside her mother, Kelly’s ex-wife Andrea “Drea” Kelly, onGood Morning Britain, where they further discussed their complicated relationship with Kelly.
“I do still love my father. That’s something I want people to understand,” she continued, referring to the message in which she called him a “monster.”
“I never came out and said what I said to make people feel like I hate him or I’m bashing him because that’s not it,” Abi continued. “If my father’s a toxic person then unfortunately we just have to love him from a distance. There’s no love lost but I just had to separate myself.”
She added that Kelly had not made any attempts to contact her.
CBS
Kelly wasreleased from jailfollowing his February arrest after paying 10 percent of his $1 million bond amount.
He found himselfbehind bars againtwo weeks later after a child support hearing in which he was ordered to pay Drea the $161,000 he owes her.
He was laterreleased from custodyafter the money was paid in full anonymously on his behalf.
Kelly hasrepeatedly deniedall claims against him.
“Forget how you feel about me! Hate me if you want to, love me if you want, but use your common sense!” he told King in theCBS This Morninginterview. “How stupid would it be for me with my crazy past and what I’ve been through to be like, ‘Oh right now, I think I need to be a monster and hold girls against their will, chain ’em up in my basement and don’t let ’em eat and don’t let ’em out?’”
“Stop it. Y’all, quit playing! I didn’t do this stuff,” he added while getting choked up. “This is not me! I’m fighting for my f—ing life!”
Kelly will next appear in court Friday.
source: people.com
