R Kelly has attempted to repair his damaged relationship with his daughter Joann by singing her happy birthday on Instagram, Page Six reports.
In the video, posted on his eldest daughter’s 21st birthday, the Step in the Name of Love singer added, “Happy birthday, baby. Daddy loves you. I love you, no matter what, I love you so much.”
It’s unlikely Joann would have been moved by the video as she previously called the 52-year-old a ‘monster’ and claimed they have not seen each other for years.
“It has been years since my siblings and I have seen or have spoken to him,” Joann – who now goes by the name Buku Abi, said in January.
Reacting to women coming out to say he had sexual abused them when they were minors, Joann added, “my mother, siblings and I would never condone, support or be a part of anything negative he has done or continues to do in his life”.
She further added, “Going through all I have gone through in my life, I would never want anyone to feel the pain I have felt.”
R Kelly is out on bail as he prepares to go to trial on 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. Last week a judge refused to lower his child support payments to ex-wife Andrea Lee – who he shares three children with, Joann, Jay (19) and Robert (17).
In the meantime, R Kelly has written to a judge and asked to travel to Dubai to perform at a three-day concert in April.
Despite turning over his passport as a condition of bond last month, Kelly has written to the court to be granted permission to work as he needs to funds for his upcoming trail.
“As has been well publicized, Mr. Kelly needs to generate income,” his attorney Steve Greenberg wrote in a new motion filed Wednesday. “He has struggled of late to pay his child support and other child related expenses. Denying him the opportunity to work would be a hardship on his children.”
