Drea Kelly reveals that R. Kelly told her he “couldn’t read” when he tried to read a Dr. Seuss book to the children

R. Kelly’s literacy has been questioned for years, much more so when the imprisoned singer tried to use it as a legal defense to stop paying alleged victims who appeared in the documentary “Surviving R. Kelly.”

But his ex-wife, Drea Kelly, recently confirmed that she was the one who taught him how to read during a sit-down with host Osei Kweku on “The Culture Club Uncensored.”

The “I Believe I Can Fly” singer revealed in court documents earlier this yr that he “cannot read or understand words beyond the level of an elementary school student.”

R. Kelly was convicted in New York in 2023 of racketeering and sex trafficking. He was also convicted in Chicago of making child pornography and inspiring a minor to engage in criminal sexual intercourse, and the 57-year-old was sentenced to a total of fifty years in prison.

In an interview, the former “Hollywood Exes” star confirmed that her ex-husband said he was molested by each a man and a woman as a child. Drea believes he was repeating past actions that led to other problems, comparable to reading to their three children: Jay, Joann and Robert Jr.

(22:44)“I think it stems from his childhood when he was molested by a man and a woman,” he says he said. “Dealing with illiteracy and inability to read.”

“I was sitting with him and I remember looking through Dr. Suess’s book and he got out of bed and walked out into the hall,” Drea continued. “He just turned into a little boy right in front of me, and I was like, ‘What’s going on?’ It’s as if we were simply reading fairy tales to children. What’s going on?'”

She explained that the “I Wish” singer didn’t want his children to know that he couldn’t read.

“He said, ‘Drea, I don’t want to do this in front of them,’ and I said, ‘But why?’ And he said, “I am unable to read them what’s on this book.” I don’t want my children to know that I can’t read. I said, “But Robert, you’ve to understand that they cannot read either.” You are magical here. Make up a story as you go. “I’ll help you make it sound,” and I literally taught him how to read Dr. Seuss books.

Kelly added that she appears like trying to help her ex learn to read has created a “love-hate” relationship with the recording artist.

“But I feel like it was a love-hate relationship because he used it against me at times. He also said, “Oh, you think you’re better than me because you can read.” So I think he always had a love-hate relationship with me.”

The 50-year-old choreographer and her former partner married in 1996, but she filed for divorce in 2006, which was finalized three years later. She confirmed that she was the victim of physical and verbal abuse for years during their marriage, and that the “Bump n’ Grind” artist even fucked her before he fell asleep.

Drea added that she feared for Mr. Kelly’s life and even remembers pondering “I’m going to die” after he “tied her up” of their bedroom on one occasion. She shares more details about her marriage and private life in her upcoming memoir, “Under the Red Carpet.”