Who was R Kelly's mother, Joanne Kelly? | The Sun

DISGRACED record producer R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison after being found guilty of sex trafficking charges.

Prior to his fame and criminal conviction, he was raised by Joanne Kelly, who died in 1993.

Who was R Kelly's mother Joanne Kelly?

Joanne Kelly was known as R Kelly's mother.

She was a single parent raising four children on Chicago's South Side, but she tragically died of cancer in 1993.

"I got back from overseas and my mom passed the day I got back three weeks later.… I had no idea she had cancer," Kelly told GQ in 2016.

"I went straight to Roseland hospital.… And the first thing my mom said is, she screamed, ‘Get out, Robert, I don't want you to see me like this.’… All I can say is, ‘I'm sorry, Mom. I'm so sorry.’… I walked up to her bedside, I asked the doctor and pastor to excuse us, even my brothers and them, they excused us, it was me and my mom.

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He continued: "She said, ‘Please leave, please.’ I said, ‘Momma, please don't make me leave—there's something I've got to tell you.’ I said, ‘First of all, I love you, and I thank you for everything you have done, everything…and I'm sorry for every time I've been bad or did something I wasn't supposed to do.

"And I promise you…’—and she died right there on the ‘I promise you.’ I called the doctor, they came in and they pronounced her dead, I was still holding her hand. But I finished my sentence. I said, ‘I promise you, Momma, no matter what, by any means necessary, I will be one of the best singers, songwriters, this world has ever seen.’ I made my mom that promise, and I am still on a journey today to fulfill that promise.”

At this time, it remains unclear what type of cancer Kelly's mother died from.

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Who is R Kelly's father?

Over the years, Kelly has opened up about his mother, but very few details are known about his father.

Later on in the GQ interview, Kelly revealed that his father left before he was born, and his mother rarely talked about him.

“If I could change anything, I would definitely have had a father around," he said.

"…I would definitely say it affected me deeply as a young man, coming up. Who doesn't want a father? Those are the beginnings, and those are what can dictate the roads you choose in life, and choosing them well. And it affected me.”

Because Kelly grew up without a father, he made it his mission to be a better man for his children.

"Generational curse doesn't mean that the curse can't be broken," he said.

"Just like having no father, that's a generational curse. Which is why, when my kids were born, I was Bill Cosby in the house. You know, the good one. You know, let's be clear there: how we saw Bill Cosby when we were coming up.”

Before going to prison, Kelly welcomed three children with Andrea Lee, including Joann Kelly, 24, Jay Kelly, 22, and Robert Kelly Jr., 18.

What was R Kelly convicted of?

In September 2021, Kelly was found guilty of racketeering charges and violating the Mann Act, which is an anti-sex-trafficking law, according to PEOPLE.

The decision came following a six-week trial, which included 50 witnesses.

During his sentencing in June 2022, several victims spoke out against the decreased star, recalling what he did to them.

"You used your fame and power to groom and coach underage boys and girls for your own sexual gratification," Angela, one of the survivors, said, according to The New York Times.

"We are no longer the preyed-upon individuals we once were."

PEOPLE notes that Kelly was previously acquitted in 2008 on child pornography charges.

Gerald Griggs, an attorney for several of the victims, told PEOPLE that his clients were satisfied with the decision.

"It's been a long journey for many of the accusers and their family members," Griggs said.

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"My clients have been fighting since 2017, and some others have been fighting for 20 years. Today, the voices of black women were heard loud and clear. This is a process to achieve justice, and they are eagerly awaiting sentencing – as well as his three other trials. Today, justice was served for Robert Sylvester Kelly." 

Kelly's conviction came just one day after former socialite Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison for conspiring with Jeffrey Epstein to sexually exploit and abuse underage girls.

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