R. Kelly’s Ex Wife Drea Kelly Explains How She Witnessed Abuse As A Child + Explains Why She Waited Years Later To Talk About R.Kelly Abuse, “I Couldn’t Come Forward Until I Knew My Children Could Handle It”

Drea Kelly, R.Kelly

R. Kelly’s Ex Wife Drea Kelly Explains How She Witnessed Abuse As A Child + Explains Why She Waited Years Later To Talk About R.Kelly Abuse, “I Couldn’t Come Forward Until I Knew My Children Could Handle It”

Andrea “Drea”Kelly is opening up about the years of alleged abuse she experienced with her superstar ex-husband R. Kelly. In a recent interview, the 46-year-old choreographer/actress discussed her marriage to singer R.Kelly and reveals that she witnessed abuse as a child.

“My grandfather was a Baptist preacher but he was also the first man I ever saw beat a woman. And it wasn’t so much what my grandfather did that changed me because I  accepted that he was a monster. It’s what my grandmother didn’t do that changed me because the very next day, she got up and made that man breakfast like nothing ever happened. My grandmother was so elegant and what she taught me about abuse is  you deal with it like a lady of grace.”

She continued,

“My grandmother was also the first lady. She’s sitting in a pulpit covering her bruises while my grandfather is up in the pulpit. The same hands that you were taken to christen babies and cast out demons are the same ones you use to whoop ass. Monday-Saturday you’re hell on wheels but on Sunday you’re an archangel. So I was taught at a very young age that God, love and pain were one. Fast forward, I’m in an abusive relationship. It’s not foreign to me.”

Andrea Kelly

During the interview, Drea Kelly sends a message to her naysayers and explains that in the midst of all the chaos between her and R.Kelly, she also has to protect her children.

“You have to understand that we have a legal system that is in place that will let a mother like me walk into court and say ‘well he hasn’t done anything to his children, he has a right to see his children’ so now you want me as his victim, to make sure I facilitate visitation with this man but you guys are not taking into accountability when theirs pick up and drop off what if thats the one time he decides he’s done and he’s going to kill everybody — There’s more to it. I have to also protect my children.”

R.Kelly

She continued,

“My children unfortunately were exposed to not just their mom being abused before I came out, they had to deal with the stories of pedophilia with their father. That’s too much to put on young children that don’t even understand whats going on. So I couldn’t come forward until I knew my children could handle it. And anybody that has a problem with that, unfortunately, I don’t give a F that you have a problem with it anymore. I was very sensitive about it at one time.”

SEE THE VIDEO BELOW:

Over the past few years, Drea Kelly has been very vocal  about R. Kelly allegedly being physically, emotionally, verbally and mentally abusive against her. She participated in the first installment of the four-part series Surviving R. Kelly on Lifetime last year.

R. Kelly has been in prison for over a year after being charged in his widely publicized case on federal charges alleging sex crimes and obstruction of justice.  As of July 2019, the ‘Bump ‘N Grind’ singer faces a total of 18 federal counts, including child pornography, kidnapping and forced labor.

R.Kelly mugshot

What are your thoughts on Drea Kelly’s comments? Let us know below.