Kelly Rowland Opens Up About Reconnecting With Her Father After 30 Years
Kelly Rowland got candid about the emotional reunion she had with her father after not seeing him for 30 years. The former Destiny’s Child singer was joined by her father, Christopher Lovett, while guest co-hosting the Today Show with Hoda Kotb and they shared how they were able to build a bond after not speaking for three decades.
Kelly was raised by her mom who passed away three weeks after the singer gave birth to her first child Titan in 2014. “I had a wonderful mom who supported me and loved me, but the truth is, there was always a piece of me that was kinda missing,” she said. “For 30 years, my dad was absent in my life.” Prior to making the connection with her father, the “Motivation” singer admitted that she originally didn’t want to have anything to do with him due to him being absent.
She even went as far as to tell security not to let him come inside venues where she was performing. Her father revealed that once he figured out that Kelly was his daughter, he did try to make contact with her numerous times, but was unsuccessful. However, when the 41-year-old mother of two decided it was time to meet her father, she reached out to him and they met at a hotel in Atlanta where they spoke for two hours.
Christopher called meeting his daughter for the first time a “dream.” “People would say I saw your daughter [on TV] and I used to sit there and say, ‘I didn’t’ and it hurt,” he said. He also shared that he felt “sad” when security wouldn’t let him see his daughter in the past.
Christopher wanted to use the opportunity of finally meeting his daughter to share his side of the story such as the fact that he didn’t know that Kelly and her mother left Atlanta and moved to Houston until three or four years later.
During the Today Show, Kelly reflected on the first time she heard her father say those three words every young girl yearns to hear: I love you.
“It was necessary to hear it for the little girl in me,” she said. “It was necessary to hear it from a man. It was necessary to hear it from my father. When I thought about all the tumultuous relationships and trying to figure out men, like, that is the base and the foundation of it psychologically. So when I’m talking to therapists, and I’m asking them about this, it all runs back to the abandonment issue.”
For people who are thinking about reaching out to an estranged parent, Kelly shared these tips.
“Brace yourself and ask yourself a couple of questions. Am I ready for this? Am I ready for no matter the outcome whether it’s good or bad? Because the truth is you don’t want to set yourself up,” she said.
“Everybody is always scared of the other side and you don’t know if it’s going to be this person embracing you with open arms or they’re not ready. And if they’re not ready, that’s okay. That’s kind of their way of shielding you from themselves.”
Featured image by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for Disney Dreamers Academy
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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ItGirl In Motion: Paige Shari Addison Shows Us Why She's The Hostess With The Mostess
Paige Shari Addison is the epitome of an ItGirl, which is why she is one of 100 ladies on xoNecole's inaugural ItGirl 100 list in partnership with Hyundai. Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, Paige started her journey as a host in high school by hosting parties. Since then, she has made a career in hosting, from parties to big-name events, and she launched Strictly RNB, a platform for new artists and R&B lovers. Paige reflects on her creative path in the limited video series "ItGirl in Motion."
“My first curated event at Criminal Records was incredible. It was all for up-and-coming artists,” she says. “I needed a platform for us as a collective to be able to give ourselves the platform instead of asking for it, instead of looking for it. I was like, I want to make sure I let people get this experience that I would give as a performer but enjoy the experience with them. It was a dream come true.”
The Atlanta native also has her own line of acai bowls called Soulfull Bowls. She started it during the pandemic after events and parties shut down. But it was her love for eating acai bowls and the reactions others had to them that made her want to make it her next business move. Being open to creating new ventures in the midst of uncertainty is a bold move and one of the reasons why Paige has the “it” factor.
“Being an ItGirl means you’re just authentic. There’s an air to us. We have confidence that exudes from the way we speak, the way we put our lip gloss on, the way we walk, the way we talk. I show up as myself everytime I walk into a room. I’m hospitable, I make sure everybody’s good,” she says.
Get to know more about the hostess with the mostess in the video above.
See our ItGirl 100 list in full here. Click through the gallery below for some BTS moments of Paige and our partnership with Hyundai.
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