Aaliyah's uncle, Barry Hankerson, has alleged that his son, Jomo Hankerson, bears responsibility for the 2001 plane crash that killed the R&B singer and seven others. Barry Hankerson's claim is part of a legal battle over music rights and was detailed in a lawsuit obtained by TMZ.
According to the filing, Jomo Hankerson was tasked with coordinating Aaliyah's travel from the Bahamas, where she was filming her music video for "Rock the Boat," to Florida. Barry Hankerson asserted that his son "failed in his responsibility" and that the fatal accident "may have been avoided had [Jomo] followed through on his compensated task of travel coordination."
The private jet carrying Aaliyah and her entourage crashed less than a minute after takeoff on August 25, 2001. The singer was 22 years old at the time of her death.
The allegations have emerged within a lawsuit filed by Jomo Hankerson against his father. Jomo alleges that Barry Hankerson breached a settlement agreement concerning the recording masters and publishing rights of artists including Aaliyah, DMX, Timbaland, and Toni Braxton. Jomo claims he is owed 12 percent of the funds Barry has generated from these assets, citing the purported settlement. He is also seeking $1.2 million in damages.
Barry Hankerson has denied his son's claims, labeling the settlement Jomo cited as fraudulent. He has further accused his son of threatening to release unpublished Aaliyah music if his financial demands were not met. Jomo Hankerson has denied these accusations.
The crash involved a twin-engine Cessna 402B. In addition to Aaliyah, the victims included Keith Wallace, 49; Scott Gallin, 41; Anthony Dudd, 34; Christopher Maldonado, 32; Eric Forman, 29; Gina Smith, 30; and Douglas Kratz, 28. The pilot, Luis Antonio Morales, 30, was found to be under the influence of cocaine and alcohol and was not authorized to fly the plane. Official reports also indicated the plane was overloaded by approximately 700 pounds, with the weight unevenly distributed.
Aaliyah's former boyfriend, Damon Dash, recalled that the singer had expressed unease about flying prior to the ill-fated trip. He stated that Aaliyah texted him saying she did not like the plane, but felt compelled to travel for the video shoot. The "Rock the Boat" music video was released posthumously in October 2001.