Jaya Kelly (born in 2000) is a 23-year-old American singer popular for being the daughter of R. Kelly, the famous American RnB singer. Jaya publicly announced that she is a transgender male in 2014.
Being the most successful R&B artist in music history, it is not a surprise that many who are close to R. Kelly would make it to the limelight. Jaya is one of the three children the singer had with his ex-wife Andrea Lee. But beyond the fame she finds herself in because of her celebrity father, Jaya is also making headlines for identifying as transgender. Read to find out all the truths behind her personal life and her gender reassignment.
Summary of Jaya Kelly’s Bio
- Full name: Jaya Kelly
- Nickname: JaahBaby
- Gender: Female
- Year of birth: 2000
- Jaya Kelly’s Age: 23 years old
- Ethnicity: Mixed
- Nationality: American
- Sexual Orientation: Transgender
- Religion: Christianity
- Marital Status: Single
- Jaya Kelly’s Parents: R. Kelly and Andrea Lee
- Siblings: 2 (Joann Kelly and Robert Kelly Jr.)
- Jaya Kelly’s Height in Inches: 5 feet 8 inches
- Jaya Kelly’s Height in Centimetres: 172 cm
- Jaya Kelly’s Weight: 63 kg
- Jaya Kelly’s Net worth: $300,000
- Famous for: Being R. Kelly’s daughter
Jaya Kelly was Born a Female Child in 2000
Jaya Kelly was born into the famous family of R. Kelly in the year 2000 in the United States of America. Her exact date of birth is not known. As a matter of fact, Jaya was born a female child to her parents, R. Kelly and Andrea Lee, and she grew up with them in the US.
She has two siblings; a sister and a brother named Joann Kelly and Robert Kelly Jr. While Joan is a singer who performs under the name Buku Ab, Robert is a basketball player. Going by the records, Jaya received her high school education at a local school where she started practicing music. She did not further his education at a higher institution but decided to fully pursue his passion for music.
Meet Jaya Kelly’s Parents
Talking about her family, Jaya was born into a Christian celebrity family. She holds African-American ethnicity and is an American national. Her father, Robert Sylvester Kelly, better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is a famous R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer.
Over the course of his recording career, the music star sold more than 75 million records worldwide, making him the most commercially successful R&B male artist and one of the world’s best-selling musicians. What’s more, R. Kelly is also infamous for being a convicted criminal, convicted for racketeering and sex offenses.
He has repeatedly faced sexual abuse allegations that have resulted in several criminal trials and civil suits. He is currently an inmate of Metropolitan Correctional Center, Chicago, and is slated to be sentenced to 30 years imprisonment in February 2023.

On the other hand, Jaya’s mother, Andre Kelly (nee, Lee), is an American choreographer, actress, and dancer. She was born in Chicago, Illinois, on 28th January 1974 and is presently 49 years old. There is little information about her personal life, as she only became popular as a result of her marriage to R. Kelly.
Andrea was R. Kelly’s former backup dancer, and the two got married in 1996. Unfortunately, their marriage ended in divorce in 2009 after 13 years. Jaya’s mom got remarried in 2012 to Brian McKee, a Canadian former ice hockey defenceman whom she divorced just after two months of marriage. Jaya is very close to her mother and sister Joann and loves to spend time with them.
At What Age Did Jaya Kelly Start Transitioning?
There are lots of questions on the internet about Jaya Kelly’s sexuality and gender. Actually, Jaya was born a woman, and his sexuality was straight. However, in 2014, at the age of 14, the celebrity daughter drew media attention when she publicly announced that she is a transgender male. Jaya made this announcement in an interview she granted with Paper Magazine.
She said that growing up, she realized that she was a young girl that loved different girls, but then, as a result of her orientation, she thought the only way to like another young lady was if you were a boy. Speaking further, Jaya said, “I believe I am a boy and want surgery and the medication to help me be who I was supposed to be”
So, to embrace her manly personality, Jaya Kelly began to wear men’s garments both to school and elsewhere rather than the customary female apparel. Even though this approach got her into “tough situations” as her schoolmates made caricatures of her, Jaya did not care but continued with her transitioning journey.
Also, knowing that her mom gave her a good amount of support, Jaya stayed on top of her transgender game. So, to say the least, Jaya Kelly, who was born a female child, is presently a transgender male. Moreso, she became a source of motivation to many young people who were not comfortable with who they were in regard to their gender identity.
How Has Jaya Kelly’s Family Reacted to his Transition?
In an interview, Jaya spoke about how her family reacted to his gender transition. According to R. Kelly’s daughter, her mom and sister massively support her in her decision and journey to becoming transgender. Her mother specifically had no problem with using the preferred gender pronouns for her.

Meanwhile, Jaya revealed that after she publicly announced herself as transgender, she struggled with depression that resulted in her staying in a psychiatric hospital for some weeks. But her mother was there for her every step of the way and has since been her biggest cheerleader. “Baby, you know I love you if you were bi, gay, lesbian, you name it, and I would still love you so much,” her mother said.
On the other hand, Jaya’s father, R. Kelly, is yet to comment on his daughter’s transgender announcement. In fact, Jaya and her sister Joann do not have a relationship with their singer father. She said that her relationship with her father is really complicated, and he has not reached out ever since she made the announcement.
Meanwhile, Jaya Kelly mentioned that she is longing to undergo gender realignment surgeries, but she knows she would have to wait for more years before embarking on that journey.
Jaya Kelly is a Singer and Rapper Like Her Father R. Kelly
In the aspect of her career, Jaya Kelly is a singer and rapper, following in her father’s footsteps. She started practicing music in her high school days and is gradually growing her talent in music. She has released a couple of singles which include Reservoir, and Focus, among others.
The Star kid has also performed live at several events, shows, and music concerts. She goes by the stage name JaahBaby.

Being a celebrity kid, Jaya Kelly lives a luxurious lifestyle. Regardless, she is doing her best to build a name for herself outside of her father’s fame. Jaya is currently putting more of her time into her music endeavors in order to make a sustainable career for herself. She is also a self-taught pianist and producer.
As of the time of writing this post (2022), Jaya Kelly is not known to be in any relationship, even though many are curious to know whether her future partner will be male or female. She does not discuss her love and relationship life. At present, Jaya Kelly is not active on any social media platform.
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