Aaliyah's Uncle Blames Son's Negligence in Fatal Crash in Lawsuit

A legal battle between Aaliyah's uncle and cousin has taken a deeply personal turn, with the uncle alleging his son's negligence in coordinating travel may have contributed to the singer's fatal plane crash 25 years ago. The accusation has emerged in a lawsuit centered on a financial dispute over music rights and assets from the late R&B star's catalog.

The conflict is between Barry Hankerson, Aaliyah's uncle and the founder of Blackground Records, and his son, Jomo Hankerson. According to court documents, Jomo filed a lawsuit against his father, alleging Barry breached a settlement agreement that entitled him to 12 percent of earnings from music assets associated with Aaliyah, Toni Braxton, DMX, and Timbaland. Jomo claims his father used the record label to manufacture unrelated expenses and hide money, pressuring him to accept less than owed. He is seeking more than $1.2 million in damages.

In his response, Barry denied the financial allegations, asserting the settlement was executed under fraud. He also accused Jomo of threatening to release unreleased Aaliyah recordings if his financial demands were not met. Jomo has denied these claims.

The dispute escalated when Barry...