Social media was revved up in excitement when it was announced that singer, songwriter and actress, Kelly Rowland, would be joining TODAY with Hoda & Jenna as a guest co-host for the entire week. 

Rowland’s first appearance on the show featured nostalgic conversation around her first appearance on TODAY, back in 2002 when she was a member of the iconic girl group, Destiny’s Child. And even featured an onscreen celebration of friendship and reconnection when the show surprised her with a visit from one of her besties, Lala Anthony. 

Rowland’s role as guest co-host, however,  took a much deeper dive on Tuesday, March 15th, when the show brought out her father, Christopher Lovett, who was now working on repairing and rebuilding the relationship with his daughter after five years since their last reunion and thirty years of estrangement. 

Rowland shared, “My understanding of where my dad was as a kid was that he was not really ready as a father. I was angry at him. I was disappointed in him. I had all of those feelings of abandonment. I think as a kid you just feel like if they're not there they don't want to be here. So that's what I felt and that feeling sucked.”

Her father expressed his struggles in trying to reconnect with his daughter during their time of estrangement, revealing that he would try to visit her while she was performing as a member of Destiny’s Child. He shared, “People used to tell me, ‘I saw your daughter,’ and I used to sit there and say, well, I didn't, and it used to hurt. So when Kelly started performing in certain places, I followed her. And when I did go to a couple of places, I didn't get a chance to see her because security wouldn't let me see her. It was sad, really.” He added, “I wanted to tell Kelly that I love her and that I never gave her up.”

Click here to watch as the pair express their gratitude for rekindling their relationship, and how they utilized the tools of forgiveness to move forward. 

Check our exclusive interview with Kelly Rowland, as she discusses marriage, money moves and advice for new mothers!

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