Aaliyah: Family War Erupts With Singer’s Uncle Blaming Her Cousin For Fatal Plane Crash
A legal battle has erupted between Aaliyah's uncle, Barry Hankerson, and his son, Jomo Hankerson, regarding the late singer's estate and music rights. Barry alleges that Jomo's failure to coordinate travel for a 2001 Bahamas trip contributed to the fatal plane crash that killed Aaliyah.
Why it matters
The dispute highlights the ongoing legal and personal complexities surrounding the management of high-profile celebrity estates and intellectual property.
Aaliyah's uncle claims his son is partly to blame for the late singer's death ... lobbing the bombshell allegation as the two fight over money in court.
TMZ obtained a lawsuit filed by Jomo Hankerson against Barry Hankerson and his record label Blackground Records. Barry is Aaliyah's uncle and longtime manager. Jomo is Barry's son and Aaliyah's cousin.
In the docs, Barry claims Aaliyah's cousin was paid to coordinate travel for her music video shoot in the Bahamas ... referring to the fateful August 2001 trip where she died in a plane crash.
Aaliyah's uncle says his son "failed in his responsibility" to handle travel plans ... and she instead took a private jet that crashed and killed everyone onboard.
Barry says the fatal crash "may have been avoided had [Jomo] followed through on his compensated task of travel coordination."
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