FAMILY WAR ERUPTS OVER AALIYAH’S ESTATE: UNCLE CLAIMS COUSIN’S TRAVEL “FAILURE” MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO 2001 PLANE CRASH

Aaliyah’s Uncle Drops Bombshell Allegation Amid $1.2M Music Rights Lawsuit Against His Son

A new legal battle involving Aaliyah’s family is bringing painful questions surrounding the late singer’s death back into the spotlight.

According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Jomo Hankerson, Aaliyah’s cousin and the son of her longtime manager and uncle Barry Hankerson, has sued his father and his record label, Blackground Records, over an alleged dispute involving music rights and money.

But buried inside the legal battle is a shocking allegation from Barry that directly involves the circumstances surrounding Aaliyah’s death.

In the lawsuit, Barry claims Jomo was paid to coordinate travel arrangements for Aaliyah and her team during a 2001 music-video shoot in the Bahamas.

Aaliyah, whose full name was Aaliyah Dana Haughton, died on August 25, 2001, when the plane she was traveling on crashed shortly after takeoff from Marsh Harbour Airport in the Bahamas. All nine people aboard were killed.

Barry alleges that Jomo “failed in his responsibility” to properly handle the travel arrangements and claims Aaliyah ultimately traveled aboard the private aircraft that crashed.

According to Barry’s court filing, the tragedy “may have been avoided” if Jomo had followed through with his compensated responsibility for coordinating the trip.

The allegation is particularly explosive because Barry says his relationship with his son was never the same following Aaliyah’s death.

It is important to note that these are allegations made in ongoing litigation, not an established finding that Jomo was responsible for Aaliyah’s death.

While the allegations surrounding Aaliyah’s final trip are grabbing attention, the underlying lawsuit centers on an alleged financial dispute over music assets.

Jomo claims Barry breached a previous settlement agreement concerning recording masters and music publishing copyrights connected to Aaliyah, Toni Braxton, DMX and Timbaland.

Jomo alleges that the settlement entitled him to 12% of the money generated from the music assets, but claims Barry used Blackground Records to allegedly conceal money and create expenses unrelated to the assets.

He is seeking more than $1.2 million in damages.

Barry has denied wrongdoing and argues that the settlement Jomo is relying on is invalid because, he claims, it was obtained through fraud.

The family conflict reportedly goes even deeper.

Barry alleges that Jomo once threatened to release unreleased Aaliyah recordings if his financial demands were not satisfied.

Jomo has denied the allegations of wrongdoing.

The dispute now places a painful chapter of Aaliyah’s legacy alongside a bitter family and business battle over the music she left behind.

Aaliyah’s career was tragically cut short at just 22 years old, but her influence on R&B and pop culture has continued decades after her death.

For now, the legal battle between father and son remains ongoing, with the court ultimately left to sort through the competing claims.