Aaliyah's uncle blames his son for fatal plane crash in court battle over music rights
Page Six • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Barry Hankerson, Aaliyah’s uncle, alleges in a lawsuit that his son Jomo Hankerson failed in coordinating Aaliyah’s travel from the Bahamas to Florida, contributing to the plane crash that killed the singer 25 years ago.
- The lawsuit claims the private jet crashed shortly after takeoff and suggests the accident might have been avoided if Jomo had properly managed the travel arrangements.
- Jomo Hankerson has filed a separate lawsuit against Barry, accusing him of breaching a settlement regarding music rights and hiding money through the record label, seeking $1.2 million in damages.
- Barry denies Jomo’s allegations, calling the cited settlement fraudulent and accusing Jomo of threatening to release unreleased Aaliyah music if his financial demands are not met.
- The 2001 crash killed Aaliyah, seven crew members, and the pilot, who was unauthorized and under the influence; the plane was also overloaded, factors contributing to the tragedy.
