Barry Hankerson, the uncle of the late singer Aaliyah, has accused his son, Jomo Hankerson, of negligence in a legal battle that surfaces 25 years after the singer's death. In court documents, Barry Hankerson claims that Jomo Hankerson failed in his professional duties to coordinate Aaliyah's travel arrangements to the Bahamas for a music video shoot, an oversight he suggests may have contributed to the fatal August 27, 2001, plane crash.
Aaliyah, 22, and eight others died when the Cessna 402B aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff. Investigators determined the plane was overloaded by more than 700 pounds. Barry Hankerson stated in legal filings that Jomo Hankerson had been compensated to accompany and coordinate his cousin's travel, but did not fulfill this responsibility.
These allegations are part of an ongoing dispute between Barry and Jomo Hankerson. In April, Jomo sued Barry and his company, Blackground Records, for $1.2 million, alleging a breach of a settlement agreement related to music publishing rights and master recordings for artists including Aaliyah, DMX, Timbaland, and Toni Braxton. Jomo claims Barry used Blackground Records to hide finances and inflate expenses to pressure him into accepting a smaller payout.
Jomo Hankerson, through his legal team, has denied all allegations made by his father. His lawyers described Barry Hankerson's actions as an attempt to "cheat Jomo Hankerson out of his share of the Music Assets." Barry Hankerson, in turn, has denied Jomo's claims and asserted that the settlement Jomo seeks is invalid due to being established under fraudulent terms. The legal case remains unresolved.
The tragic crash occurred after Aaliyah completed filming the music video for her single "Rock the Boat." The aircraft crashed approximately 200 feet from the runway.