Crime

R. Kelly’s daughter speaks out about the controversy

ROLLINGOUT.COM — R. Kelly’s daughter has finally broken her silence.

Published

8 years ago

January 12, 2019

By Rollingout.com

R. Kelly’s daughter has finally broken her silence. The 52-year-old singer was recently the subject of the docuseries “Surviving R. Kelly,” which featured claims he had used his position to abuse women and young girls for decades.

The singer’s estranged daughter, Buku Abi has branded him a “monster.” She admitted she has been “deeply affected” by the program and has found it “very difficult” to process the revelations.

She wrote in a lengthy post on her Instagram Stories: “Before I start I just want it to be known that I am speaking from the heart, nothing I say or do not say is to hurt ANY party reading this or affected by this.

“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.

“I do apologize if my silence to all that is happening comes off as careless. That is my last intention. I pray for all the families & women who have been affected by my father’s actions. Trust, I have been deeply affected by all of this.

“However, it has been very difficult to process it all, let alone gather all the right words to express everything I feel.”

Buku — whose real name is Joann Kelly — clarified that she, her mother and her siblings haven’t had a relationship with the “I Believe I Can Fly” singer for “years” following many challenges “in regard to him, his life decisions and his last name.”

And the singer-songwriter admitted she’d been left unhappy about people bombarding her with messages saying she should have spoken out about her famous father before now.

She continued: “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.

“Going through all I have gone through in my life, I would never want anyone to feel the pain I have felt.

“Reminders of how terrible my father is, and how we should be speaking up against him, rude comments about my family, fabricating me, my siblings & our mothers ‘part’ etc. Does not help my family (Me, my sister, my brother, and my mother) in our healing process. Nor does it allow a safe space for other victims who are scared to speak up, speak up.

“The same monster you all [are] confronting me about is my father. I am well aware of who and what he is. I grew up in that house.”

Abi explained she had stayed quiet for the sake of her own “peace of mind” and “healing” and stressed she needs to put herself first.

She wrote: “My choice not to speak on him and what he does is for my peace of mind. My emotional state. And for MY healing.

“I have to do & move in a manner that is best for me. I pray anyone who reads this understands I put nothing but good intent behind each word.”

Buku concluded her long series of posts by thanking her family’s supporters for helping to “push us through this hard time.”

She wrote: “This past year for my family has been very difficult, all the love and support you all continue to show is why we keep going. You all fuel us.

“Family, friends, followers, fans, etc… I love you guys to pieces. Your love is appreciated & always will be.”

Kelly, 52, has denied all the allegations made against him and has threatened legal action against his accusers and the makers of the series.

This article originally appeared in Rollingout.com.

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AG Bonta Announces Action on Cryptocurrency, Sextortion Fraud – Increasingly Targeting Gen-Z

California Attorney General Rob Bonta is warning residents about a surge in cryptocurrency fraud and online sextortion schemes that increasingly target Gen Z through social media platforms. With internet-based scams costing Americans nearly $21 billion in 2023, Bonta highlighted how artificial intelligence and deepfakes allow criminals to impersonate loved ones and promote fraudulent investment groups. The Attorney General’s Office has already shut down over 100 fraudulent websites and is now utilizing new legislative tools to recover assets for victims. Read more.

Published

1 week ago

November 3, 2026

Post News Group

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

California Attorney General Rob Bonta warned residents about rising cryptocurrency fraud and online sextortion scams, urging Californians to recognize warning signs and protect themselves as scammers increasingly target younger people through social media.

Speaking at a news conference on Oct. 19, Bonta said Americans lost $20.9 billion to internet-based scams in 2025, including $11.4 billion to cryptocurrency scams. He said artificial intelligence, deepfakes, and malicious smart contracts have made fraud easier to carry out and more difficult to detect and prevent.

While older Californians remain targets, Bonta said his office has seen a sharp rise in reports of Gen Z consumers being targeted on platforms such as Twitch, TikTok, and Instagram.

One growing scheme involves so-called rug-pull scams, in which fraudsters promote low-priced stocks or volatile cryptocurrencies through online investment groups and streaming communities. After generating interest and driving up prices, scammers sell their holdings, causing values to collapse and leaving investors with losses.

Bonta also warned about sextortion, in which scammers trick or coerce victims into sharing explicit images before threatening to distribute them to friends and family unless they pay. He advised victims not to give in to demands, saying scammers often do not release the images when victims refuse to pay. Instead, he recommended ignoring and blocking the perpetrators.

Another scheme, known as recovery fraud, targets people who have already lost money to cryptocurrency scams. Fraudsters impersonate blockchain recovery specialists or law enforcement officials and demand additional payments while promising to recover stolen assets.

Bonta urged Californians to be skeptical of promises of large returns on small investments, fake cryptocurrencies resembling established ones, and celebrity endorsements that may have been generated using artificial intelligence. He also warned that scammers can use AI to impersonate loved ones through manipulated video and audio.

“Never use a crypto ATM,” Bonta said, emphasizing that transactions can be difficult to trace and reverse and that the machines lack adequate consumer protections.

His office has shut down more than 100 fraudulent websites over the past two years that collectively scammed victims out of at least $8.3 million, he said.

Bonta also highlighted Senate Bill 1208, which he said was recently signed into law. The measure allows law enforcement to petition a court to return seized cryptocurrency to victims, including when alleged perpetrators are outside U.S. jurisdiction.

Residents who have fallen victim to scams can report them to the California Department of Justice at oag.ca.gov/report.

Bonta also urged victims not to feel embarrassed, stressing that scammers are responsible for the harm they cause.