Aaliyah’s family is facing a painful new legal battle more than two decades after the singer’s tragic death. A dispute over money and music rights has now brought shocking claims about her final trip into court. The lawsuit has also revealed a rift between Aaliyah’s cousin and uncle. The case continues, with both parties denying misconduct.
Barry Hankerson pointed fingers over travel plans for Aaliyah’s fateful 2001 Bahamas trip
According to TMZ, Jomo Hankerson sued his father, Barry Hankerson, and Blackground Records. Barry served as Aaliyah’s uncle and longtime manager, while Jomo is his son and Aaliyah’s cousin. The lawsuit stems from a previous settlement involving valuable music assets. However, court documents also include painful claims about Aaliyah’s death.
Barry claimed Jomo received payment to coordinate travel for Aaliyah’s music video shoot in the Bahamas. The trip ended in tragedy when a private plane crashed in August 2001, killing Aaliyah and everyone else on board. Barry alleged that Jomo “failed in his responsibility” to handle the travel arrangements. He further claimed the fatal crash “may have been avoided” if Jomo had completed his compensated task.
Barry also stated that Aaliyah’s death forever affected his relationship with his son. Meanwhile, Jomo charged his father with violating a deal with recording masters and music publishing rights. The disputed assets involve Aaliyah, Toni Braxton, DMX and Timbaland, according to TMZ. Jomo claimed the agreement entitled him to 12% of the money Barry earned from those music assets.
Jomo alleged that Barry used Blackground Records to hide money and “manufacture expenses” unrelated to the music assets. He alleged that those actions forced him to take less than what he thought he deserved. Jomo is seeking more than $1.2 million in damages. Barry denied wrongdoing and argued that the settlement agreement is invalid because fraud affected its execution.
Barry also accused Jomo of once threatening to release unreleased Aaliyah music if his financial demands went unmet. Jomo has denied all the accusations, including those related to Aaliyah’s last trip. Now, the suit has left two family members squabbling over cash and hurtful past accusations. For now, the court has yet to resolve the ongoing case.
Originally reported by Ayusi Adhikari on Reality Tea
