Silent treatment worries family of R. Kelly's wife

April 8, 2003

BY MARY MITCHELL SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST

Despite his legal troubles, R. Kelly is on a public relations roll. After the E2 nightclub tragedy, Kelly stepped up and donated $63,000 to the families of the 21 victims. Given that most of the victims were young and uninsured, the money made a big difference to the grieving families.

Last week, Kelly scored points again, by releasing a new song to show support for the members of the military fighting in Iraq.

"This song is my way of saying thank you to everyone protecting us, and allowing us to sleep comfortable at night and send our children off to school in the morning," Kelly said in a news release.

Proceeds from "A Soldier's Heart" will go to support the soldiers' families, according to Kelly's official Web site.

But there's something else the public should know.

While Kelly may understand how difficult it is for military families to cope when they are estranged from loved ones, he apparently is not as understanding when the problem is a lot closer to home.

His wife, Andrea Lee Kelly, hasn't spoken to her mother, grandfather or aunt since the R. Kelly sex scandal broke.

"The last time I talked to her was over two years ago on the phone," said Gerri Cruze, Andrea's mother. "She was crying hysterically and violently. Of course you are worried when you go from talking to a person every day to not talking to them period."

After that disturbing conversation, Cruze said she was unable to reach her daughter because the telephone numbers were changed. Desperate, she asked the Olympia Fields Police Department to check out the home to make sure her daughter was all right.

Although police verified that Andrea Kelly was fine, Cruze, who currently lives near Atlanta, is planning to move to Chicago to find out why her 29-year-old daughter has broken ties with her family.

"I don't know if my child is under the influence. I don't know if she is being controlled. I don't know if people are watching her. I don't know if she is being brainwashed," Cruze said.

I did try to reach Mrs. Kelly myself but couldn't get past the lawyers. Obviously, I have no way of knowing why Mrs. Kelly is estranged from her relatives. But sources who know her claim she is living in luxury, is happy, and has a nanny for each of her three children.

Cruze isn't buying it.

"If everything is all right, then she should call her mother and her father," Cruze said. "I find this behavior bizarre."

Although there have been published reports about Kelly's falling out with his own family, Cruze describes the family he married into as "close-knit" and "strong." She divorced Andrea's father years ago but has managed to maintain a good relationship with her former in-laws.

"We are a very, very close family, and this is very uncharacteristic of my daughter," Cruze insisted. "We always communicate. Prior to everything going haywire, that has been a rule in this family."

"We are just infuriated by this," Cruze continued. "She is an adult, but my instincts are that this is a control situation."

Andrea Kelly's paternal grandfather, the Rev. Thomas Lee, 78, lives a community away from the Kelly family's Olympia Fields mansion. He also hasn't been able to see his granddaughter.

"I was there a few minutes ago," Lee said when he contacted me two weeks ago. "One of the nannies told us that she couldn't get in touch with her. We haven't been able to get in touch with Andrea since she had this last baby. We have not seen her, nor have we been offered any visitation. This has really been debilitating for the entire family."

Franchon Lee, Mrs. Kelly's aunt, is also concerned.

"Everybody is just upset and freaked out," she said. "This is very unusual. Andrea is very outgoing and very friendly. If nothing else, she is going to talk to me or her mother."

Obviously, Andrea Kelly doesn't have to talk to her mother. She's a grown woman with a family of her own. There is also no evidence that she is a domestic violence victim or is being held hostage in her own home.

Still, it is understandable that Mrs. Kelly's family is worried about how this scandal may be affecting her. After all, what mother can read published accounts in which her daughter is described as being treated like a "puppy dog" and not worry about that daughter's well-being?

"There is a possibility that she doesn't want to talk us, but I doubt it," her aunt said. "When this scandal happened, she was so upset and just cried and cried and cried. It was awful. There is no law that can help us get in there and talk to her. But it seems to me when you get in this kind of trouble, you would call your mother and your pastor."

"I want it to be documented that the fact she is not calling us is not the Andrea we know," Cruze said. "We know her not calling us is sending a signal that something is wrong."

I hope this family's plea doesn't fall on deaf ears. The least a daughter can do is tell her mother why she isn't taking her calls.

After all, that's one way of proving that the freedom her husband is singing about is the freedom she has at home

way overblown really.Damn Media trying to stir more stew than Ingrediants needed again.folks need to Enjoy the music&leave the Kelly's Alone IMHO.

well said. who knows what's really going on anyway.

mistermaxxx said:

But don't you think this is very messed up? I know I'd freak out if my child called me one day crying and spiting and all of a sudden I don't hear anything from her. Hell, her parents are too damn COLD 4 not getting their asses outta there from the begining and check on her daughter, leave the newspapers alone and go check on yo goddamn child,,,thats what every parent should do, thats what I'ma do if it happend 2 me(I hope it doesn't in the future).
[This message was edited Wed Apr 9 9:39:20 PDT 2003 by Harlepolis]

Harlepolis said:

that's why I said what i said because once you let the Media all up in Yo Business you are gonna Bring a Jerry Springer type of element to the party.you gotta think like People first&deal with the Problem instead of trying to make it a tabloid situation.

How do we know this is overblown? Sure sounds like something weird is going on. Are you saying the mother and rest of the family is making this up?

intha916 said:

you know you are cool on certain things but please Leave R.Kelly out of your thoughts because not everything is meant to be overblown&it's there Business.Family&Fame don't Mix.when you leak stuff to the Press you stop being Real on alot of Levels IMHO.there are ways to do things without Being a Tacky Turkey.

mistermaxxx said:

Sounds like the moms went to the media cause she has no other outlet at this point.Damn man it's been two years and she hasn't talked to them. You can't deny that's strange.

intha916 said:

well Bless you&Yours that your family Bond is intact but alot of familys don't always get along&have major differences that cause friction&tension.I know where R.Kelly is coming from with His Family&also where Michael Jackson is coming from with His.if you been there than this isn't strange at all in fact you look at it as only a couple of years&there is still Hope if both partys are cool with one another?

mistermaxxx said:

Look, I'll be upfront about my bias with R Kelly. I bought his first CD when it was still R Kelly and Public Announcement but haven't bought one since. Never really dug him as an artist or producer but left it at that. But then all this young girl stuff started to surface and then the whole tape things came out. That tape was the smoking gun. I support Michael but if a tape came out with him pissin on some little boy that would be it. These dudes like R Kelly that mess around with 15-16 year old girls aren't that uncommon. The shit turns my stomach as a father of two girls. Now that said, I know how the press is. But with all that's went down with this cat, and then the wife is cut off from her moms and family for 2 years? Come on man. Like Keith Sweat said, Something Just Ain't Right.

intha916 said:

I'm a Parent as well but My Little One ain't Star struck&also let me put this in check:if we were to trip on everything somebody out there does in the Entertainment Business than you better start clearing your Shelf space because there wouldn't be much left.I ain't saying it's all right but it's about the Music&the Talent of the Person for me that matters.chuck Berry did crazy Stuff as well&I still Bump His Work even though Dude wasn't always right you can't deny His Work&Impact as a Artist.I ain't in there Cool-Whip&Choice not to be Spread on there Strawberrys because it's not my Dessert to know about.it's there Mix&hopefully they can work it all out?Being a Black Man&Strong Minded as I am I don't always trust the Press.I Know that if you aren't about Dollars in there Eyes chances are they won't F with you.and they see a Way to Pimp Loot using the R Family Story.She use to be a Dancer in His band back in the day BTW.it ain't like attention on this level is new to Her.but it's there Business at the end of the day&Beginning IMHO.

mistermaxxx said:

I don't really get into artists lives and I can look the other way on lots of stuff but not when it comes to under-aged girls. That shit is just foul. I have made a point not to listen to the Chocolate Factory because I hear it's actually pretty good. I'm just saving myself the temptation because in this vast wasteland that has become R&B, I am hungry for anything that has some substance to it. Easier just to save myself the trouble and just "say no" to R Kelly.

well then do us all a favor and stay away from R.Kelly threads OK? Thanks.

agotajonesmartha said:

Thank You!

agotajonesmartha said:

And you're in charge of where I post how?

That said, check the topics I posted on regarding R Kelly. Other than this one, the only other was about Saadiq where R's name got brought up. Last thing I'm gonna do is go outta my way to talk about R Kelly. He's all yours. Enjoy.
[This message was edited Wed Apr 9 11:36:16 PDT 2003 by intha916]

u guys are some sick folk. all up in r kelly's butt just because he can write a cute song or two. Sounds like mom went to the media because she's tried everything else. But u sick folks are to busy trying to defend a pervert to even look at mom's point of view.

mistermaxxx said:

Yeah! Leave the child molestor fans alone!

It is sensationalist, but he's news right now so it's all going to come out. Up until the video tapes he had managed to keep his private life totally sealed off.

At least the little girl jibes aren't the full story when you see the truths of his 29 year old wife and the thirty something Isley Bros dancer also on the tapes...

tricky99 said:

yeah we Defend Da Kang of Modern R&B Musically.if you want to hate on Him find but believe me alot of artists you probably like if you knew about some of there episodes you might clear out all of your Music Shelves&Movie Collection as well.Everybody makes mistakes&has issues.there is only One Perfect Man to walk the Earth Jesus Christ&Only One God so please don't play the Judgement Game.

mistermaxxx said:

If you want to boycott R. Kelly it's not only the entertainment industry you better come correct in but make sure you don't buy those sweatshop child produced Nike trainers or those virtual slavery produced coffee beans and cocoa... surely these things carry greater impact on lives than a musician who likes sexing consenting teens.

Essence said:

I think keeping it simple isn't very hard to do. If you fucking a child I don't want shit to do with you. Is it that hard?

intha916 said:

Okay I respect that but are you consistent? What if you rape an adult? What if you murder a man? What if you simply beat up an innocent man?

Like I say to my value systems I'm more concerned with broad life areas such as exploitation as regards fair trade. If little girl 10yo Ming Yao is slaving 24/7 to make those Nike trainers on your feet right now, what's the bigger picture?

Essence said:

who is BoyCotting Michael "AIR- Jordan???

mistermaxxx said:

Yep Air Jordans pushed on poor kids at the other end who crave them so much they kill foa pair.

Man, it's scary people are so one dimensional and petty, who is boycotting Nestle products for keeping Ethiopia and other african countries in constant debt and securing the market for pushing overpriced babymilk on the natives?

"Okay I respect that but are you consistent? What if you rape an adult? What if you murder a man? What if you simply beat up an innocent man?

Like I say to my value systems I'm more concerned with broad life areas such as exploitation as regards fair trade. If little girl 10yo Ming Yao is slaving 24/7 to make those Nike trainers on your feet right now, what's the bigger picture?"

Yea I am consistent when it comes to sex with children. That's just something that runs deep with me. You don't need to agree with me but it's my money and I can spend it how I see fit. I'm not walking around in front of Virgin with a sign saying "Don't Buy R Kelly Records" I just don't want my money ending up in that dudes pocket. If that other shit bothers you then you shouldn't support those products either. But for the record I don't buy Nike products any way. I'm not into owning things for the name on them.

R Kelly is a no talent child molesting, woman hating and pissing on punk ass who needs a rod applied liberally to his ass. Fuck him, he is an enemy 2 prince and his music stinks. Bump and grind his sorry ass into a coma.

Da Kang of Modern R&B doesn't deserve as a Artist to Be Subject to such Negative feedback.

This is exactly how I feel...

intha916 said:

That's cool man, whatever works, I was just saying. Sometimes it's most comfortable to hit the easy targets for a moral crusade...

2freaky4church1 said:

Now where do you get your info from ? The National Enquirer ? haha.