Kelly Rowland hasn’t seen her father since her mom left him when Kelly was just seven years old. Back then, her father was an abusive alcoholic; but he now says he is a changed man who just wants the opportunity to have a relationship with his daughter.
The 67-year-old, in an interview with Radar Online, said “So many previous years have passed and I’m getting old. I just pray she comes back into my life before it’s too late.
I couldn’t control the drinking and verbal abuse that Kelly witnessed. I hope I can make it up to her. But I’m still waiting for that day. Whenever [Destiny’s Child] was on the cover of a magazine, I would call and beg them to tell her I was looking for her.
“It wasn’t physical between me and Kelly’s mom, but there were many days and nights when Kelly would be bawling her eyes out, clutching my leg begging me, ‘Please daddy, stop shouting at mummy’. That image of her howling, begging me to stop will haunt me forever.”
Back in November 2011, Kelly told November issue of UK Cosmo that she really did want to reunite with her dad, especially since she had already forgiven him.
“He reached out to me saying he wanted to see me, but it’s unfortunate he did it so publicly. I want to meet him, and soon. I really do. I forgave him a long time ago. I haven’t seen my dad for almost 20 years. It’s nothing I want a pity party for. He left me and my mom, and I was angry. I wanted to be a daddy’s girl so bad. God damn The Cosby Show because that made me think ‘Why aren’t my family like that?’ But this is not a perfect world,” said Kelly.
In October of that same year, she said she wanted to plan a meet-up for the holidays because she was ready to heal.
“It’s really important just to forgive my father. I want to meet him this Christmas, because now is the time; because tomorrow’s not promised to us. I think it’s important to forgive people and we move on. We have to. The pain is there; of course it will be there, and it’s important to know that forgiveness is the first step towards healing it all,” she said.
Who knows what Kelly is feeling now? At one point she expressed that she was looking for him and didn’t know if he was dead or not (before he reemerged); but she may feel as though it’s not worth reliving moments she wants to forget.
In Essence’s September 2013 issue, she revealed: “I haven’t [seen my father yet.] I don’t know what’s stopping me because I’ve had opportunities. But it really is time. I probably need to ask my therapist about it.”
I pray that kelly reunites with her dad before it is to late.