As a survivor and mother of the singer's three kids, Drea Kelly says she sits 'in a very difficult place' because her heart goes to the victims but her heart also 'breaks' for her children.
- Sep 29, 2021
AceShowbiz - R. Kelly's ex-wife has broken her silence on his guilty verdict. Drea Kelly appeared on "Good Morning Britain" on Tuesday, September 28, one day after the singer was convicted of racketeering and sex trafficking among other crimes.
"I've always said if any of his victims were blonde and blue-eyed it wouldn't have taken this long," Drea said during the TV interview. "Women of color tend to be lowest on the totem pole when it comes to subjects of domestic violence and sexual abuse."
While she supports the victims, Kelly, who shares three kids with the disgraced singer, said her heart splits in two following his conviction. "I sit in a very difficult place because unlike the rest of his victims, I also share children with him, I was married to him, so I wear two hats," she admitted. "I wear the hat of a survivor and an advocate, but I also wear the hat of a mother and an ex-wife. So it's very difficult for me."
"I feel that my heart is in two places," she further divulged. "My heart definitely goes out to the survivors and the courage that it takes to come forward and tell the story, but my heart breaks as a mother because this is now the legacy that my children will have to deal with and their children's children. His blood runs through my children's veins."
Drea noted that she is able to "distance" herself from his legacy, her children cannot. She explained, "At the end of the day, you cannot walk away from your bloodline. I have the ability to separate and distance myself from it, but his blood runs through my children's veins and it's part of their DNA and they couldn't escape it even if they wanted to. So it's very difficult for me to sit in that position."
Drea previously spoke up about the alleged physical abuse that she suffered during their marriage from 1996 to 2009. Detailing "constant fear" and "intimidation" that she went through during that particular period, she shared, "Knowing the cycles of abuse - it's called walking on eggshells, that's what it means. That is the term that is used when you never know what you're going to get. Like I said in the interview before, having the milk too cold and the one time it's not cold enough."
After a highly-publicized trial, the jury found Kelly guilty on nine counts including racketeering, sexual exploitation of a child, kidnapping, bribery, sex trafficking and a violation of the Mann Act on Monday. The judge ordered that Kelly remain in custody pending sentencing, which was set for May 4, 2022. He faces 10 years to life in prison.
Following the guilty verdict, the "I Believe I Can Fly" hitmaker tweeted, "To all my fans and supporters I love you all and thank you for all the support. Today's verdict was disappointing and I will continue to prove my innocence and fight for my freedom. #notguilty," before his account disappeared.
