NEWSWynonna Judd's Daughter Claims Singer 'Was Never a Mother' as She Exposes Ex-Stepfather's Abuse
Wynonna Judd’s daughter claimed she was 'never a mother' to her while exposing ex-stepfather’s abuse.
Aug. 21 2025, Published 8:03 a.m. ET
Wynonna Judd’s daughter, Grace Kelley, is opening up about her painful past, saying the country legend turned a blind eye to the abuse she endured at the hands of her former stepfather, D.R. Roach, when she was just 10 years old.
“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 in a recent interview, referring to counselors who are legally required to notify authorities.
She added, “When he was arrested and it came out in the news, that’s when she divorced him.”
Grace Kelley accused Wynonna Judd of ignoring her abuse.
Judd was married to Roach from 2003 to 2007. She shares Grace and son Elijah Kelley with her first husband, Arch Kelley III.
Grace went on to claim that the “Burning Love” singer went to great lengths to keep the situation out of the spotlight. Records show D.R. later pleaded guilty to attempting to commit aggravated sexual battery in 2007, according to the Tennessee s-- offender registry.
“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 of Wynonna, who has been married to musician Cactus Moser since 2012. “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.”
Grace Kelley use drugs as a result of the alleged abuse.
Grace admitted that the trauma eventually led her down a destructive path with drugs.
“Between 12 and 17, I was in 14 different facilities,” she revealed.
Her troubles caught up with her in October 2024, when she was arrested on seven charges after sneaking into a trailer attached to a van.
Months later, she struck a deal that reduced the charges to three: possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while drugged and petty larceny.
She was sentenced to time served, and legal analyst David Heilberg believes those six weeks in jail may have been a turning point.
“I got a hold of some bad drugs, and I was hallucinating,” she remembered.
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Grace Kelley struggled with drugs and spent time in jail.
At the time, she didn’t realize the van she entered belonged to Charlottesville’s Ground Zero Church of the Nazarene, which began praying for her recovery.
Today, Grace, who claimed she’s now clean, is an active member of the congregation.
“If it wasn’t for Pastor Kent and [his wife] Megan Hart, I would still be out there using,” Grace said. “I’d still be out there doing the same thing I was.”
She even admitted, “I did pray to the devil. My story is so messed up.”
Grace Kelley is now sober and part of a church community.
Grace said she’s found a new sense of faith and direction.
“There’s a lot of victory going on in her life,” Megan said. “And we’re just continuing to walk with her as we know Jesus would want us to.”
Grace agreed, saying, “I’m thankful that we serve a forgiving god. I’m thankful that God is forgiving.”
Looking ahead, she dreams of starting fresh.
“I would love to fix my tattoos and have something more beautiful, you know, something more creative and colorful,” she said. “But I just don’t have the money right now.”
“I’ve been looking for a home for a long time,” she added. “And I think I found it.”
Grace spoke to The Daily Progress just last month.
