NEED TO KNOW
Wynonna Judd’s daughter Grace Kelley has accused her former stepfather of sexually abusing her, and claims the country star was complicit in covering up her ex-husband’s abuse.
Kelley, 29, spoke to The Daily Progress in July about her experience with D. R. Roach, to whom Judd, 61, was married from 2003 to 2007. The “Love Can Build a Bridge” singer filed for divorce days after Roach was arrested and charged with sexual battery against a minor, though his victim was never publicly identified.
Kelley, who was 10 years old at the time of her alleged abuse, told the outlet that Judd tried to unite the family through counseling, but ultimately escalated the situation once the extent of Roach’s abuse emerged.
“When they found out in counseling what he had done to me, they’re like, ‘Wait a minute. We’re going to report this to law enforcement,’” Kelley recalled. “When he was arrested and it came out in the news, that’s when she divorced him.”
She continued: “So is my mom rich? Yeah, she’s so rich that she was able to sweep me under the rug and abuse me and then cover it all up. I don’t want to talk bad about my mom, but we’ll just say she’s a good performer. She was never a mother.”
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A spokesperson for the star did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Judd is currently raising Kelley’s 3-year-old daughter Kaliyah, and is also mom to son Elijah, 30.
Kelley has faced a number of legal troubles over the years, including three arrests in 2024, and most recently served six weeks in jail, according to The Daily Progress. The outlet reported that she has since moved to Charlottesville, Va., and is doing well after getting sober and finding religion.
“My story is so messed up,” Kelley said. “Between 12 and 17, I was in 14 different facilities.”
Kelley — whom Judd called “the strongest Judd woman in our ‘herstory'” in 2020 — said she’s working on a memoir, tentatively titled Pronoia, about her complicated life.
“I believe that now’s my time,” she said. “I never had a voice, and I was iffy about talking about all this stuff, but no matter what is said about me, the Bible says the truth will set you free.”
Judd — who shares her two children with first husband Arch Kelley III — said upon filing for divorce from Roach in 2007 that she was “obviously devastated” by the situation.
“Our family will pull together, begin the healing process and hopefully – by the Grace of God – become stronger. We will move forward with our faith, family and our friends to find resolution to this difficult situation,” she said at the time in a statement that also noted Roach was seeking treatment for drug and alcohol addiction in Texas.
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Roach is currently listed as an active offender against children in the Tennessee Sex Offender Registry. The database says he pleaded guilty to criminal attempt to commit aggravated sexual battery, with a date of offense listed as Feb. 1, 2007.
Judd, who married Cactus Moser in 2012, has spoken publicly about the aftermath of her divorce from Roach, telling Oprah Winfrey in 2010 that she went into “mama bear mode” after his arrest.
“He was out of the house within the hour. I called him everything I could think of. I had a moment where I let it all fly, and then it was done. I trusted him with my life, and I didn’t want to stop trusting [people],” she said. “Because of the child, I won’t speak about it. It’s their story [to tell] when they’re ready to talk. That’s what’s so scary, is that it is someone that you know. There’s a trust there. There’s a bond… The best revenge is living well. I cleaned out my house, got of everything that reminded me of him.”
The Grammy-winning star previously opened up about her own experiences with sexual abuse in the documentary The Judd Family: Truth Be Told, which aired in May.
“I was molested at 12, so my whole sexuality thing was really stamped out because I just, at 12, shut down. I carried the weight, both literally and figuratively,” she said, adding that she covered herself up with clothing as much as possible after the abuse.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
