R. Kelly's daughter is reluctantly sticking by her old man amid mounting sex abuse allegations that are reaching a breaking point ... 'cause she says that's what family does.
We got Joann Kelly -- who goes by her artist name, Buku -- in Atlanta Monday, where we asked about the ever-growing scandal surrounding her father, who's been accused of grooming young women to be "sex pets" while allegedly holding them against their will.
Joann tells us she doesn't want to speak too much on the matter, but you can tell the issue hits close to home. She does admit, though, to feeling "terrible" about the whole thing.
Seeing how Kelly's inner circle is reportedly falling apart -- his publicist, lawyer and assistant all quit last week, according to the BBC -- we ask if Joann's still close with her pops. Check out her response ... it's definitely not a ringing endorsement for Dad of the Year.