Wynonna Judd’s daughter, Grace Kelley, is making some startling allegations regarding her childhood, claiming the singer knew her daughter was being abused by her ex-stepfather, D.R. Roach.
Kelley, 29, told The Daily Progress last month that Roach, who was married to Judd, 61, from 2003 to 2007, molested her when she was 10 years old. She further claimed that the country singer chose not to initially expose him.
“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 claimed of her alleged abuse at the hands of Roach, seemingly referring to the counselors who are in most circumstances bound by law to report a crime.
Kelley continued, “When he was arrested and it came out in the news, that’s when she divorced him.” (Judd shares Grace and son Elijah Kelley with first husband Arch Kelley III.)
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Grace claimed that once Roach was arrested and charged in March 2007 with sexual battery against a minor, Judd tried to unite the family through counseling.
“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,” Grace alleged. “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.”
Us Weekly has reached out to Judd’s rep for comment and to Roach’s last known contact for comment.
When Judd filed for divorce from Roach, she noted that she was “obviously devastated” by what transpired.
“Our family will pull together, begin the healing process and hopefully — by the Grace of God — become stronger,” she said in a statement in 2007, noting that Roach was seeking treatment for drug and alcohol addiction. “We will move forward with our faith, family and our friends to find resolution to this difficult situation.”
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While Roach’s victim’s identity was not publicly revealed back in 2007, Grace’s life following the alleged abuse has been full of ups and downs.
Grace has faced several legal troubles, including three arrests in 2024, one of which was attempting to flee the police. She most recently served six weeks in jail, per The Daily Progress.
According to the outlet, Grace, whose 3-year-old daughter, Kaliyah, is being raised by Judd, is now living in Charlottesville, Virginia. She has found religion and is working on rebuilding her life.
“My story is so messed up,” Grace told the publication. “Between 12 and 17, I was in 14 different facilities.”
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She revealed that “now’s my time” to tell her story to the masses, and is working on a memoir tentatively called Pronoia.
“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,” Grace said.
Roach, for his part, is listed as an active offender against children on the Tennessee Sex Offender Registry. According to the database, he pleaded guilty to criminal attempt to commit aggravated sexual battery in February 2007.
Judd, meanwhile, has been married to Cactus Moser since 2012.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
