Andrea “Drea” Kelly is ready to reveal bombshell details about her past relationship with R. Kelly, in her upcoming book, “Under the Red Carpet,” and she did just that during a recent interview.
During the exclusive chat on “The Culture Club Uncensored” with host Osei, she cleared up a number of misconceptions about the origins of her roller coaster history with the disgraced singer, including how they ended up crossing paths when she was still a teenager.
To begin, she recalled that she first encountered the Chicago native when she “auditioned to dance for him, to be a choreographer.”
“[I] met him through LisaRaye [McCoy]. LisaRaye is my girl. Came on the last day of auditions, and I’m like, ‘Lisa, I don’t know.’” Drea said that despite her trepidation about trying out for the gig, she was ultimately persuaded by her friend celebrity hairstylist Larry Sims.
“Lisa saw me [and went] crazy. [I] walked in, the first thing LisaRaye said to me, ‘Turn around. Let me see yo‘ booty.’ I was like wait what? She’s like, ‘Just turn around. Let me see yo booty.’ … She was like, ‘Oh, Rob gon’ love you,’ and she gave me a number, and I went and auditioned, and we were inseparable from that day,” said the choreographer about McCoy.
R. Kelly's ex-wife Drea tells her story of their marriage: 'People have no idea.' pic.twitter.com/QeXfXvbhG7
— Nightline (@Nightline) November 20, 2018
The “Single Ladies” actress echoed that same story in 2021 when she confirmed that she introduced the pair while helping to put together R. Kelly’s first tour. In that same interview with “Hip Hop News Uncensored,” she admitted to knowing Aaliyah and the “friendship” the young artist shared with him.
Though Drea was asked about the “One in a Million” songstress, she declined to discuss the rumors regarding the duo. When asked she said she had never met Aaliyah and respectfully added, “Don’t ask me s—t about Aaliyah.”
LisaRaye, however, said she could only speak on what she saw, which was none of the salacious hearsay.
As for her friend, Drea spoke glowingly of McCoy. “That’s my love, that’s my heart right there, and she goes to bat — listen, she’s from the South Side of Chicago too. LisaRaye lets you know, ‘don’t let this pretty face fool you. I will rip yo’ forehead meat back to the skull. Don’t play with me.’ She is no joke,” she said.
Deeper into the conversation, the former “Hollywood Exes” cast member said that her ex-husband pursued her for two years after she was hired as his dancer, but she turned him down. She said having a mother who worked in the industry introduced her to celebrities early on and gave her an intimate understanding of how their world works.
“Because I was familiar with that lifestyle, I was like, ‘Nah, I’m good. I’m good.’ I know about the traveling groupies, the ones like the super fans, and just your level of commitment. I went into it knowing I will always be your mistress because your music will always be your wife. So I was like, ‘Yeah, I don’t want that. I’m good,’” said Drea.
She continued, “Honestly, we started out like sister and brother. It was more like we would crack jokes, we would travel together. I’m doing choreography while he’s working on the album. He’s working on Michael Jackson stuff … so we had a great work relationship.”
She then explained, “I was engaged to be married when I met him. … And another thing people don’t realize, I met him when I was 19 years old. … I was married at 22. Should have never been married. At 19 you don’t need to be with a 26-year-old man, period. And we gon’ leave it at that.”
Drea and R. Kelly tied the knot in 1996, a year after dating. They welcomed three children before the marriage crumbled amid the laundry list of sexual misconduct allegations against the “I Believe I Can Fly” songwriter. Drea filed for divorce in 2006; it was finalized in 2009.
In 2023, two decades after Drea and other women came forward with stories of enduring abuse at the hands of the Grammy Award winner, he was found guilty of sex and racketeering crimes in two separate trials. He is sentenced to serve a combined 50 years in prison.
When asked the last time she’d spoken with her ex, she said, “That had to be over 10 years ago” and that “there’s nothing to say.” In their last conversation, she sent a clear message: “Don’t play with me. Don’t play with my kids. I’m not the little girl. I’m not that 19-year-old that walked into that audition. I’m a lioness and these are my cubs. Don’t play with me.”
R&B singer R. Kelly and ex-wife Drea Kelly clearly passed on their music and dance skills to their kids. pic.twitter.com/p2p8yN9siu
— Nightline (@Nightline) November 20, 2018
Last year, when McCoy sat down with WBLS, she spoke about her opposition to cancel culture and social media, which ultimately led her to comment on R. Kelly. She noted that his music, specifically his song “Seems Like You Ready,” holds sentimental value to her because it was used in her strip scene in “The Players Club.”
“He’s not the first one that’s done what he’s done, and they trying to take his music down. They trying to mess with his residuals. You know he can’t take care of his family that way. He can’t take care of his self whenever he get out, even if he get out or whatever. He can’t do nothing. But I still love his music. He’s still a friend of mine,” said the “Cocktails With Queens” co-host.
McCoy did not comment on whether she remains in contact with R. Kelly at the time, despite expressing some grace for him.
