Kelly Rowland joined her father Christopher Lovett for their first public performance together as they discussed reuniting after three decades of estrangement.
On Tuesday, on an episode of The Today Show, the 41-year-old singer and her father opened up about their painful past and emotional reunion in 2018.
“My understanding of what my father was like growing up was that he wasn’t really ready as a father,” Kelly, who hosted the show alongside Hoda Kotb, said in a pre-recorded interview.
The Destiny’s Child star previously stated that her biological father’s “drunk and violent” behavior forced her late mother, Doris Rowland Garrison, to leave him.
Reunion: Kelly Rowland was joined by her father Christopher Lovett for their first public appearance together as they discussed reuniting after three decades of estrangement.
She continued, “I was mad at him. I was disappointed in him. I had all these feelings of abandonment.
“I think as a kid you just feel like if they’re not there, they don’t want to be here. That’s how I felt, and that feeling sucked.”
After becoming a star as a member of Destiny’s Child, Kelly specifically instructed her security team to forbid her father from visiting her backstage while the girl group was on tour.
Second Chance: On Tuesday, the 41-year-old singer and her father opened up about their painful past and emotional reunion in 2018.
“My understanding of what my father was like growing up was that he wasn’t really ready as a father,” Kelly, who was a guest on the show alongside Hoda Kotb, said in a pre-recorded interview.
After Christopher arrived at the set with a bouquet of flowers for his daughter, they embraced sweetly.
Christopher explained that he started following Kelly after her career took off, and described what it was like when security turned down her gigs.
“People told me: “I saw your daughter”, and I sat and said: well, I did not see, and it was painful.
Sad: After rocketing to stardom as a member of Destiny’s Child, Kelly specifically instructed her security team to forbid her father from visiting her backstage while the girl group was on tour.
Sharing his thoughts: Christopher explained that he started following Kelly after her career took off and described what it was like to be rejected by security at her concerts.
“So when Kelly started performing at certain venues, I followed her. And when I went to a couple of places, I didn’t get a chance to see her because the security wouldn’t let me see her. It was really sad.”
He later added, “I wanted to tell Kelly that I love her and never left her.”
“I was trying to protect myself,” Kelly explained. “I wasn’t read to deal with these feelings.”
“I was trying to protect myself,” Kelly explained. “I wasn’t read to deal with these feelings.”
Singer Dilemma recalled how her feelings for Christopher began to change after her first son, Titan, was born three weeks after she lost her mother, Doris.
“I said, ‘I really need to get to know him. I want to meet him,” she said.
“I think I had feelings like, ‘Oh my God, I don’t have parents.’ And it was like no, you had one left.”
Both Kelly and Christopher shed tears several times during the interview. Kelly spoke about their reunion at a hotel in Atlanta and how they talked for two hours.
Kelly said she came to understand her father better after hearing about his own difficult childhood and strained relationship with his own father and grandfather.
Change of Heart: The Dilemma singer recalled how her feelings for Christopher began to change after she had her first son, Titan, three weeks after she lost mother Doris.
The singer and her father expressed their gratitude for the restoration of relations.
“I can only imagine what it’s like to have everything you want to say to your child for so many years,” she said. “I just gave him space and it was incredible. Beneath all the disappointment, pain, anger and fear is the one you love.”
Kelly said she felt she should allow herself to be graceful to her father and encouraged other people to reach out to their estranged parents if or when they were ready.
“It was four or five years ago that we rekindled our relationship and it’s never too late,” Kelly said.
“Forgiveness is always there.”
Grace: Kelly said she felt she should allow herself to give her father a favor and encouraged other people to reach out to their estranged parents if or when they were ready.
“Forgiveness is always there”: the singer and her father expressed gratitude for having restored their relationship
While she was hosting The Today Show, Kelly also announced that she was releasing a new children’s book on April 26 called Always With You, Always With Me.
The Titan star’s two sons, seven, and Noah, one she shares with her husband Tim Weatherspoon, made a surprise appearance on the show in a pre-recorded video.
The titan said to his mom, “Hi mommy, Noah, will you say hi to mommy? We have just finished your book. We want to thank you for this. We are so proud of you for this. And I want to thank you for being the best mom we’ve ever had.”
Cute: The Titan star’s two sons, seven, and Noah, one she shares with her husband Tim Weatherspoon, made a surprise appearance on the show in a pre-recorded video
The video brought Kelly to tears. She said, “But to be honest, Titan is a soul, he saved me. He saved me. My God, so special.
“The Titan saved me because, you know, when I lost my mom, it was three weeks after the Titan was born, so he helped me get through it. He is a strong child. And Noah, he’s been here before. He really was.
“And I’m just so grateful for my kids and my wonderful husband. I am really. I’m just so grateful for my family. I am really. Everything I do, I do for them.”
Family: Kelly married her husband Tim in May 2014. Pictured with son Titan in 2019.
In good spirits: Kelly beamed as she arrived at The Today show in hot pink by The Sei and white Charles Keith pumps.
Funny: In one of the show’s most light-hearted moments, Kelly and Hoda appreciated the tendency of stars to walk barefoot on the red carpet. When Hoda asked Kelly if she would walk barefoot on the red carpet, Kelly replied, “Have you dated Michelle and Beyoncé? They will eat me for breakfast, lunch and dinner!