Andrea Danyell Lee was born in Chicago, Illinois on January 28, 1974. In 1996, Drea, then aged 22, married singer–songwriter R. Kelly in Colorado. Prior to their marriage, Drea was a backup dancer for Kelly. Together Drea and Kelly have three children; Joann (b. 1998), Jaah (b. 2000) and Robert, Jr. (b. 2002). Drea changed her last name from Lee to Kelly. Drea filed a restraining order against Kelly in September 2005 after he assaulted her when she told him she wanted a divorce. She filed for divorce in 2006, it was finalized in 2009.