It has been 25 years since Aaliyah’s tragic death, but the circumstances surrounding the fatal plane crash that claimed the life of the beloved singer remain a painful and highly debated topic. As fans continue to honor Aaliyah’s legacy, her uncle has reportedly accused his own son—Aaliyah’s cousin—of bearing some responsibility for her death.
According to TMZ, Jomo Hankerson and Barry Hankerson are currently involved in a court battle, with Jomo accusing his father of owing him money connected to music assets.
Barry, who owns Blackground Records and is Aaliyah’s uncle as well as Jomo’s father, reportedly made claims about his son’s role in handling the singer’s travel arrangements. According to court documents, Barry alleges that Jomo “failed in his responsibility” to coordinate Aaliyah’s travel plans, specifically regarding the private plane booked for her flight to the Bahamas to shoot a music video.
Jomo is accused of mishandling the original travel arrangements, with Barry claiming that the fatal crash “may have been avoided had [Jomo] followed through on his compensated task of travel coordination.”
The lawsuit also includes serious allegations against Barry Hankerson. Jomo claims that his father violated a settlement involving masters and publishing copyrights connected to music from Timbaland, Aaliyah, DMX, and Toni Braxton.
According to Jomo, the agreement entitled him to 12% of Barry’s earnings from the music assets. However, he now alleges that his father used his record label to “manufacture expenses that have nothing to do with the music assets, all for the purpose of pressuring [him] into accepting less than what he is owed,” while allegedly concealing money. The lawsuit is seeking $1.2 million in damages.
Barry has pushed back against the accusations, denying that he did anything improper and claiming that the settlement itself was reached through fraud. He also accused Jomo of threatening to release unreleased Aaliyah music if his demands were not met.
