Kriti Mehrotra
With Lifetime’s ‘Surviving R. Kelly: The Final Chapter’ living up to its title, we get a true insight into the atrocious ways in which the R&B singer-songwriter preyed on young women for decades. After all, it incorporates not just archival footage but also first-hand accounts of those closest to the matter to really shine a light upon his actions, his pattern, as well as his entire criminal enterprise. Amongst those to share their side of the story in this original is none other than survivor Kitti Jones. If you wish to learn more about her, we’ve got the necessary details for you.
Who is Kitti Jones?
It was back in June 2011 that thriving Dallas-based hip-hop and R&B station 97.9 The Beat radio jockey Kitti Jones came across R. Kelly for the first time, only for her whole world to soon turn upside down. The truth is she wanted to see him live in concert (for the ninth time), yet she didn’t mind missing it too much as she got to set up his Beat-sponsored after-party at a local club called Fat Daddy’s. This meant the then-33-year-old could approach him personally when he showed up, which is precisely what she did because she’d been a fan for over two decades — “he was my Brad Pitt,” Kitti said.
Little did Kitti know, though, that her brief interaction with Kelly would end with him slipping her his cell phone number and thus begin their “romantic relationship” despite an 11-year age difference. She actually texted the singer from the bathroom within moments, and his reply was a request for her to always call him “daddy,” driving her to head straight home for fear of being unprofessional. After all, in her five years as a jockey prior to this point, she had met several celebrities and had never had this reaction — she was attracted to Kelly, and he made it clear it was reciprocated.
According to Kitti’s own account, Kelly remained in constant touch with her over the following two months, making her feel as if he was genuinely interested in developing a deeper connection. Therefore, when he urged the divorced mother of one to meet him in Denver, Colorado, with a promise to cover her every expense to make this entire, rather last-minute journey easier, she agreed. That’s the night the duo first engaged in sexual activity, which the former vividly remembers as “weird” yet okay since her partner was not just being a bit too intense but was also directing her.
Kitti made a few more short trips to visit her “boyfriend” before ultimately quitting her job, selling her car, and moving into his Chicago base from her Dallas home in November 2011. Within a couple of weeks, she experienced Kelly’s reality, following which there was a constant stream of sexual coercion, physical violence, mental abuse, and control of her very being. From how Kitti could dress to what she could eat to when she could use the bathroom, he genuinely had rules for everything, including the amount of contact she could have with loved ones.
Kitti Jones is a Public Speaker Today
It was in September 2013 when Kitti left Kelly because she’d just had enough of his torturous starving punishments, his manipulation into degrading or group sex, and his fear-instilling possessiveness. “I can either kill myself or kill him,” was actually her thinking by the end. So, she made up an excuse to return to Dallas and never looked back. Kitti did face her ex again in November, but she thankfully managed not to let her fear take over. Since then, she has gradually been rebuilding her life while surrounding herself with friends and family members who genuinely care about her well-being.
It’s actually imperative to note Kitti wanted to testify against Kelly during his 2021 federal trial, yet the prosecutors did not call upon her owing to the amount of evidence already against the predator. Nevertheless, she has been sharing her tale with the world since 2017, especially by having penned and self-published her memoir ‘I Was Somebody Before This’ and its follow-up, ‘Heal As You Reveal.’
Therefore, even though Kitti prefers to stay well away from the limelight these days, it’s evident the Texan native has managed to build a good life for herself as an author of books and scripts alike. Plus, from what we can tell, the now mid-40-year-old has even delved back into the world of radio hosting as well as public speaking — her true passions.
Read More: Where is Tiffany Hawkins Now?
