R. Kelly’s Brother Reveals Childhood Sexual Abuse, Claims Singer Didn’t Help Him

Lifetime’s “Surviving R. Kelly” docu-series continues to pull back the curtain on one of the most controversial performers of our time. One shocking moment in particular asserted that R. Kelly, a victim of childhood sexual abuse himself, may have failed to support his younger brother when he learned that he, too, was being abused.

Kelly’s brothers, Bruce and Carey, were among the many people close to the singer who were interviewed for "Surviving R.Kelly," and among the many jaw-dropping assertions that have been made so far in the six-part special is Carey’s claim that he, too, was sexually abused as a child but was deterred from telling his mother after R.Kelly reacted badly to the news.

R. Kelly, born Robert Sylvester Kelly, has spoken out about being molested as a child before, first in his 2012 memoir “Soulacoaster,” and again in a 2016 interview with GQ, during which he revealed that the person who molested him was a blood relative.

Carey, too, was molested by a relative, though he did not name the perpetrator during his Lifetime interview. He said that it was R. Kelly’s unexpected reaction to his confession that led him to keep the information a secret from their mother.

“I was molested by a family member and that shook my world,” Carey said. “I knew it wasn’t right even though I was 6 years old at the time. I was afraid to tell my mom because of the person and who they were, I don’t know if she was going to believe me.”

“Robert, being my big brother — I brought that to him and told him what happened to me,” he said. “And when I told him what happened to me he didn’t really respond to it like I felt that he should. He said, ‘Naw, that didn’t happen to you.’ I said, ‘Yes it did.’ Robert said, ‘No it didn’t.’ Then I left it alone, I really knew not to take it to my mom. My brothers was the test. If they believed me then maybe I could have took it to an adult.”

Carey and R. Kelly have long had a contentious relationship, it seems. Carey alleged during a 2006 interview with MTV News that his famous brother tried to get him to take the blame for the infamous sex tape that landed him on trial for child pornography charges in 2002.

Kelly’s attorney at one point claimed that it was actually Carey, not R. Kelly, who was filmed having sex with and urinating on an underage girl — accusations that his brother never apologized for, even though it “destroyed” his life, Carey said. R. Kelly even offered him thousands of dollars, a record deal, and a house if he took the blame, Carey claimed in another 2006 interview that was released on DVD by Drahma Magazine, according to MTV News. R. Kelly was ultimately found not guilty on all counts.

Carey, a rapper also known by the name Carey Killa Kelly, released a diss track about his famous sibling in August, shortly after the release of R. Kelly’s 19-minute denial track, “I Admit.” Carey’s “I Confess” consists of the younger Kelly brother accusing R. Kelly of having relationships with men and spreading STDs to various women — an alleged act that Kelly has been sued for in the past.

Carey most recently accused his brother of molesting their 14-year-old cousin during an interview with YouTuber “unWinewithTashaK” in September.

[Photo: Getty Images]