Joanne Kelly, R. Kelly’s daughter, has made it clear that she has no intention of introducing her future son to his grandfather. In a preview clip from her upcoming documentary, R Kelly's Karma: A Daughter's Journey, Joanne firmly states, “If my son asks questions, I’m going to be as truthful as possible. And I will not be taking my son to prison to meet his grandfather.”
Reflecting on her childhood, Joanne recalls how Kelly “was my everything,” but their relationship deteriorated after his conviction for racketeering and sex trafficking in September 2021. “For a long time, I didn’t even want to believe that it happened,” she admits, acknowledging the difficulty of coming to terms with her father’s actions. “Nobody wants to be the child of the father that is out here hurting women and children.”
R. Kelly is currently serving a 30-year sentence at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago for his crimes. In addition to this, he was sentenced to another 20 years in February 2023, following his conviction on six counts of child sex crimes, including producing child pornography and enticing minors for sexual activity. Nineteen of those years will be served concurrently with his initial sentence.
The documentary also includes appearances from Joanne's siblings, Jaah Kelly and Robert Kelly Jr., as they too navigate the legacy of their father's actions.