Former Color Me Badd Singer Kevin Thornton Faces Abuse Allegations From Daughter After Years of Ministry and Silence Around a Strict Religious Home
LOS ANGELES, CA — Former Color Me Badd singer Kevin Thornton is facing serious abuse allegations from his adult daughter, Mikayla Thornton, who says the home she grew up in was ruled by fear, secrecy and harsh religious control.
In a lengthy interview with Soft White Underbelly, Mikayla described a childhood she says was far from normal. She alleged that punishment in the house included beatings and spiritual rituals meant to force obedience.
What Mikayla Thornton says happened inside the home
Mikayla claimed her father used a “rod of correction” marked with Bible verses and the children’s names. She said it was used to strike them as punishment.
She also alleged that Thornton carried out religious “deliverances” in which the children were hit with a Bible hard enough to leave bruises. According to her account, punishment could continue until the children cried and begged him to stop.
Mikayla said she grew up thinking other families might live this way too. She later came to see the environment differently, describing it as a system built to keep the children quiet and compliant.
From pop success to Christian ministry
Thornton was once part of Color Me Badd, one of the biggest R&B-pop acts of the early 1990s. The group scored major hits including “I Wanna Sex You Up,” “I Adore Mi Amor” and “All 4 Love.”
He left the group in 1998 and later turned to Christian ministry, eventually becoming a licensed minister. In a 2009 interview with Cross Rhythms, Thornton said he had stepped away from secular music because he believed God was leading him in another direction.
Mikayla’s claims directly challenge that public image. She said religion in the house was not only central to family life, but also used as a tool for control and image management.
Other allegations and what comes next
Mikayla also said Child Protective Services was contacted more than once after one of her sisters showed up at school with bruises. She further alleged that her parents failed to protect her after she said she was sexually abused by other children on a school bus in elementary school.
She claimed she was allowed to date a 20-year-old when she was 15, and she said Thornton justified it by calling her “mature for your age.” Mikayla also said she now wants no relationship with either parent.
Thornton has not publicly responded to the allegations, and his Instagram account has been deactivated. Mikayla said she is no longer afraid of her father, and she accused her parents of wishing harm on her if she rejected their authority.
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