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On The Docket

• Barry Hankerson alleges his son failed to coordinate Aaliyah’s travel before the fatal flight.
• Jomo Hankerson claims he is owed 12% of proceeds generated by major music assets.
• Both sides deny wrongdoing, and none of the competing allegations has been proven in court.

By Samuel López | USA Herald

More than 25 years after Aaliyah’s death, a bitter fight over music rights has produced a stunning accusation from within her own family: Her uncle and longtime manager, Barry Hankerson, claims his son may have contributed to the circumstances preceding the singer’s fatal 2001 plane crash.

The allegation surfaced in an ongoing legal battle between Barry, his son Jomo Hankerson, and Blackground Records. Jomo—Barry’s son and Aaliyah’s cousin—initially sued his father and the record label over money allegedly owed under a settlement involving valuable recording and publishing rights.

Barry responded with claims reaching far beyond disputed royalties.

According to TMZ’s account of the court filings, Barry alleges Jomo was paid to coordinate transportation for Aaliyah’s August 2001 music video production in the Bahamas but failed to fulfill that responsibility.

Aaliyah had traveled to the islands to film the video for “Rock the Boat.” On Aug. 25, 2001, the 22-year-old singer and members of her entourage boarded a private aircraft bound for Florida. The plane crashed shortly after taking off from Marsh Harbour Airport, killing Aaliyah, the pilot and seven other passengers.

Barry reportedly contends that Aaliyah ended up aboard the ill-fated aircraft because Jomo did not complete the travel arrangements he had been paid to handle. He alleges the catastrophe “may have been avoided” had his son followed through with the assignment.

The accusation does not amount to a judicial finding that Jomo legally caused the crash. It is an allegation raised during a broader financial dispute—and one carrying extraordinary emotional weight inside a family already marked by loss.

Historical accident findings identified serious problems with the aircraft itself. A preliminary investigation found that the Cessna was significantly overloaded and improperly balanced when it attempted to take off. Investigators also determined that the pilot was not authorized to operate the aircraft for the charter company.

Barry claims Aaliyah’s death permanently changed his relationship with Jomo. Now, that long-running family rupture has collided with a high-stakes battle over some of modern R&B and hip-hop’s most commercially significant music.

Jomo alleges that a settlement entitled him to 12% of money Barry received from recording masters and publishing copyrights connected to Aaliyah, Toni Braxton, DMX and Timbaland.

He accuses Barry of using Blackground Records to conceal revenue and manufacture expenses unrelated to the music assets, allegedly as part of an effort to pressure him into accepting less than he was owed. His lawsuit seeks more than $1.2 million in damages.

Barry denies those allegations and challenges the validity of the settlement, claiming it was procured through fraud. He has also accused Jomo of threatening to release previously unheard Aaliyah recordings unless his financial demands were satisfied.

Jomo denies wrongdoing.

In a later development, TMZ reported that Jomo offered to settle the dispute for $20 million, while alternatively demanding access to financial records tied to the contested music assets.

The case remains unresolved. No court has determined that Jomo bears responsibility for Aaliyah’s death, that Barry concealed money, or that either man committed fraud or made an unlawful threat.

What began as a fight over contracts and royalties has now reopened one of music history’s most painful tragedies—turning Aaliyah’s legacy into the center of a deeply personal father-son courtroom war.

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