More than 25 years after Aaliyah’s tragic death, heartbreaking questions surrounding the singer’s final flight are once again making headlines — this time because of a bitter legal battle within her own family.
CelebnMusic247.com reports that what began as a dispute over money and music rights has taken an emotional turn, with Aaliyah’s uncle and former manager, Barry Hankerson, making a stunning allegation involving his own son, Jomo Hankerson.
What is crazy about all of this is that we were close to the glam squad who also parrished in the plane crash and this was talked about back 2001. It’s weird that 25 years later it is being reported. We kept this private to reapect Aaliyah and everyone who passed, but now it appears that what has been spoke about behind the scenes is now surfacing. The dirt never stays under the carpet.
According to a report published by TMZ on August 31, Barry and his label, Blackground Records, are being sued by Jomo over an alleged breach of a settlement agreement.
But Barry’s response reportedly goes far beyond royalties, contracts and accounting.
He claims his son failed to properly handle travel arrangements for Aaliyah and her team ahead of the singer’s ill-fated flight from the Bahamas in August 2001 — and alleges the tragedy “may have been avoided” had those responsibilities been carried out.
It’s an extraordinary accusation that brings one of music’s most heartbreaking losses back into the spotlight.
Aaliyah Was Filming “Rock the Boat” Before Her Death
At only 22 years old, Aaliyah was already a superstar.
Known affectionately as the “Princess of R&B,” she had built a career that blended R&B, hip-hop, fashion, film and an effortlessly cool style that helped define an era.
In August 2001, Aaliyah traveled to the Bahamas to film the tropical music video for “Rock the Boat,” one of the standout songs from her self-titled third studio album.
The video was bright, beautiful and full of life — which makes what happened immediately afterward all the more difficult to comprehend.
On August 25, 2001, Aaliyah and members of her entourage boarded a twin-engine Cessna 402 to leave the Bahamas.
The flight never made it home.
Shortly after takeoff from Marsh Harbour Airport, the aircraft crashed, killing Aaliyah and eight others on board.
The victims included pilot Luis Morales III, Keith Wallace, Anthony Dodd, Scott Gallin, Eric Forman, Christopher Maldonado, Douglas Kratz and Gina Smith.
Aaliyah was just 22 years old.
Barry Hankerson Makes a Painful Accusation Against His Son
Now, decades later, Barry Hankerson is reportedly pointing to events that occurred before that final flight.
According to TMZ, Barry claims he had paid Jomo to coordinate Aaliyah’s travel arrangements for the “Rock the Boat” video shoot.
Barry alleges that Jomo “failed in his responsibility” to properly arrange those flights, ultimately leaving Aaliyah and her team to use the smaller aircraft for their return trip.
Barry reportedly went even further in his legal response, claiming the deadly crash “may have been avoided” had Jomo completed the travel-coordination task for which Barry says he had been compensated.
Jomo denies wrongdoing.
That distinction is important: Barry’s assertion is an allegation made amid an active family dispute, not an established finding that Jomo caused the crash.
The Final Flight Had Raised Serious Safety Concerns
The circumstances surrounding Aaliyah’s final flight have been examined for decades.
According to reporting by The Independent, witnesses said concerns were raised before takeoff about the amount of luggage and equipment being loaded onto the Cessna 402.
The aircraft was smaller than the Cessna 404 reportedly used for the group’s earlier travel.
A witness said there was an argument involving the pilot and members of Aaliyah’s party over the weight of the luggage and equipment, with warnings that the aircraft was too heavily loaded to fly safely.
The plane nevertheless took off.
Moments later, it crashed.
For Aaliyah’s family, friends and millions of fans, August 25, 2001 became a day that changed everything.
A Father and Son Relationship Apparently Changed Forever
Barry now says the tragedy also profoundly affected his relationship with Jomo.
That adds another deeply personal dimension to what might otherwise look like a straightforward fight over money.
Behind the court filings are a father and son who appear to have carried unresolved feelings surrounding one of the most devastating moments in their family’s history for more than two decades.
And now those emotions are spilling into a lawsuit involving the very music that helped make Aaliyah an icon.
But This Court Fight Is Really About Money and Music Rights
At the center of Jomo Hankerson’s lawsuit is a reported $1.2 million damages claim.
Jomo alleges that Barry owes him money connected to music assets and a previous settlement agreement.
According to the allegations, Jomo says he is entitled to 12% of certain proceeds associated with recording masters and music-publishing copyrights involving major artists connected to the Blackground catalog, including Aaliyah, Toni Braxton, DMX and Timbaland.
Jomo also alleges that Barry used Blackground Records to conceal money and create unrelated expenses in an effort to reduce what Jomo would ultimately receive.
Barry has denied his son’s allegations.
So now both men are making serious accusations against each other — Jomo over money he says he is owed, and Barry over events surrounding a family tragedy that occurred a quarter-century ago.
Aaliyah’s Legacy Is Much Bigger Than This Family Battle
Perhaps the saddest part of the story is seeing Aaliyah’s name pulled into a painful family dispute so many years after her death.
Because while lawyers may argue about settlements, royalties and what happened behind the scenes, Aaliyah’s legacy has never been defined by the plane crash that took her life.
It’s defined by what she accomplished while she was here.
She gave fans songs that still sound fresh decades later. She helped reshape the sound and image of contemporary R&B. Her style continues to influence fashion. And generations of artists who came after her still cite her as an inspiration.
She was only 22, yet somehow managed to leave behind a cultural footprint that artists with careers three times as long would envy.
That may be why stories surrounding her death continue to hit fans so hard.
There will always be questions about what might have happened had Aaliyah gotten on a different plane that afternoon.
What albums would she have made?
What movies would she have starred in?
What would music look like today if the Princess of R&B had been given another 25 years to evolve?
Those questions can never be answered.
But one thing has become increasingly clear with time:
Aaliyah may have left this world far too soon, but the music, style and influence she left behind never went anywhere.
And no family lawsuit can change that.
