Grace Kelley, Wynonna Judd’s daughter, has made serious allegations against her mother, claiming that the iconic country singer covered up the sexual abuse committed by her stepfather, D.R. Roach, when she was young.
Judd and Roach were married from 2003 to 2007. The 61-year-old singer filed for divorce just days after her ex-husband, who was also her former bodyguard, was arrested and charged with sexual battery against a minor.
Roach was arrested in March 2007 in Texas and charged with three counts of aggravated sexual battery on a child under the age of 13. He was eventually convicted, although the identity of his victim was never publicly disclosed.
What Did Grace Kelley Say About Her Mom Wynona Judd?
In an interview with The Daily Progress, Kelley revealed she was only 10 years old when the alleged abuse occurred.
At the time, she claimed, Roach molested her. Judd then attempted to unite the family through counseling, but the situation escalated when the full extent of Roach’s abuse came to light.
“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,’” she said. “When he was arrested and it came out in the news, that’s when she divorced him.”
From there, Kelley accused her mother of trying to cover up the abuse.
“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,” she continued. “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.”
So far, Judd has yet to address Kelley’s claims.
How is Grace Kelley Today?
Kelley has a history of drug addiction, but she is now sober and has found religion. She currently lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, and has finally found the home she was looking for.
“My entire life, the reason I travel so much is I was looking for home,” she said. “But ever since I came to Charlottesville and I gave my life to God — oh, man, it’s just beautiful. I love it here.”
Before finding this new life, Kelley faced her fair share of legal troubles over the years, all related to her drug addiction, which began in 2015.
“My story is so messed up,” she revealed. “Between 12 and 17, I was in 14 different facilities.”
In 2018, she was sentenced to eight years in prison for violating her probation. Although she was released in early 2019, she returned to prison in 2021 for another probation violation.
The following years saw her in and out of prison until she welcomed her daughter, Kaliyah Chanel, in 2022.
Kelley, Judd’s daughter with her first husband Arch Kelley III, was again arrested in April 2024 for exposing herself on a highway in Alabama.
In August of the same year, she was arrested on three misdemeanor counts: fleeing or attempting to elude an officer, driving with a suspended or revoked license, and improper use of motorcycle equipment.
During Kelley’s legal struggles, Judd took care of Kaliyah. In 2010, she told Oprah Winfrey that she went into “mama bear mode” after Roach’s 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,” she recalled.
She also admitted she knew the identity of his victim but chose not to reveal it.
“Because of the child, I won’t speak about it. It’s their story [to tell] when they’re ready to talk,” she continued. “That’s what’s so scary, is that it is someone that you know. There’s a trust there. There’s a bond.”
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