Jaya Kelly: The inspiring story of R. Kelly's child
Unless you live under a rock, you are probably familiar with the R. Kelly story. He is a renowned singer, songwriter and record producer who was recently convicted of racketeering and sex trafficking. But beyond his career and criminal record, Kelly is the father of three. Unfortunately, he does not share a good relationship with his second-born child, Jaya Kelly, because of her sexuality. What is her story?
Source: UGC
Following in her father’s musical footsteps, Jaya is a singer. In 2014, at the age of 14, she came out as a transgender male. This generated some friction as few family members supported her while others were against the decision. Discover Jaya’s personal facts before we delve into intriguing details about her sexual orientation.
Jaya Kelly’s profile summary
| Full name | Jaya Kelly |
| Nickname | Jaah |
| Gender | Trans |
| Pronouns | She/her |
| Year of birth | 2000 |
| Age | 24 years old (2024) |
| Birthplace | United States of America |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | African-American |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Height in feet | 5’8’’ |
| Height in centimetres | 173 |
| Weight in kilograms | 63 |
| Weight in pounds | 139 |
| Hair colour | Black |
| Eye colour | Dark brown |
| Sexuality | Lesbian |
| Marital status | Single |
| Parents | Andrea and R. Kelly |
| Siblings | 2 |
| Profession | Singer |
| Net worth | $300,000 |
| Famous for | Being R. Kelly’s kid |
How old is Jaya Kelly?
Source: Original
Jaya ‘’Jaah’’ Kelly (aged 24 as of 2024) was born in 2000 in the USA. However, her exact date of birth remains a mystery.
Jaya Kelly’s parents
Andrea Lee and R. Kelly exchanged nuptials in 1996 after a short dating period. At the time, she was 22 and he was 29. Before their marriage, Lee was Kelly’s backup dancer.
However, their marriage was marred by allegations of physical and emotional abuse. In 2009, the duo divorced after 13 years of marriage.
Besides Jaya, the ex-couple has two more kids, Joanna (born in 1998) and Robert Jr. (born in 2002). Like her father, Joanna is a singer who performs under the name Buku Abi, while Robert is reportedly a college basketball player.
Jaya Kelly’s sexuality
Even though the celebrity kid was born a biological female, she realized she was meant to be a boy at age 6 or 7. Jaya chose the name Jay and started using the he/him pronouns.
Source: UGC
During an interview with Paper magazine, Jaah revealed that at 14, she publicly announced that she was a transgender male.
I believe I am a boy and want surgery and the medication to help me become the boy I was supposed to be.
Meanwhile, coming out as trans was not easy for Jaah as she suffered from depression. She had to spend about three weeks in a psychiatric hospital.
Is Jaya Kelly transgender?
Jaah did not undergo surgery to change her gender after making some realizations. In a 2019 interview, the singer disclosed that she realized she did not have to transition to a boy to be in a relationship with a girl growing up.
When I was younger, I always felt like I had to make a choice. I knew I was a girl who liked other girls. But because of what I was taught, I felt the only way you could like another girl was if you were a boy.
Jaya dropped the name Jay and now identifies as a lesbian whose pronouns are she/her. She openly expressed that:
I identify as a lesbian. I know I like girls, but that is as far as I will go to label myself.
How did Jaya’s family react to her gender transition?
Source: UGC
Jaah’s mother, Andrea, has always been by her child’s side, supporting her life’s decisions. In an interview, the singer revealed what her mom said to her after she came out as trans:
Baby, you know I love you if you were bi, gay, lesbian, you name it, and I would still love you so much.
The singer’s sister also supports her life’s path and often accompanies her to pride events. R. Kelly reportedly was not happy about his daughter’s transgender announcement. The duo share an estranged relationship, especially after his criminal trial.
What does Jaya Kelly do for a living?
R. Kelly’s daughter Jaya made her musical debut at 13 under the alias Jaah Baby. She released her debut single, Reservoir, in 2014. Although she has released several songs, the celebrity daughter has kept his content from mainstream media.
Jaah’s songs are available for streaming on SoundCloud and are a mix of techno and hip-hop. Here are some of her major hits:
- Fall Into
- Reflection
- Gentle
- Subtle
- No Regards
- Lost It
How much is Jaya Kelly’s net worth?
Source: UGC
The celebrity child has an alleged net worth of $300,000 at the time of writing. Her income primarily comes from her career as a singer. Jaah’s live performances and songs on SoundCloud earn her revenue in royalties.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, her mother, Andrea Kelly, is worth $5 million. She has amassed this wealth from her successful career as a choreographer, dancer and actress.
Jaya Kelly is famous as the child of R. Kelly and his ex-wife, Andrea Lee. In 2014, she changed her gender to identify as a transgender male. However, Jaah later became comfortable with her gender and now identifies as lesbian.
READ ALSO: All about Cassandra James as a child: Life before and after surgery
Briefly.co.za highlighted all you need to know about American Canadian transgender actress Cassandra James. She is known for her role as Dr Terry in ABC's General Hospital.
Her role in the series is the first transgender character in a telenovela to be portrayed by an actual trans actress. Cassandra started her medical transition journey in 2016 at the age of 27. She first came out as gay before coming out a second time as trans.
Source: Briefly News
