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Aaliyah's Family Feuds Reignite Over Royalties
25 Sep
Summary
- Aaliyah's uncle and cousin are embroiled in ongoing lawsuits over music royalties.
- A 2021 deal was meant to settle disputes, but legal fights continue.
- Allegations include coercion, theft of master recordings, and financial misconduct.
Five years after a deal intended to resolve disputes over Aaliyah's music catalog, legal battles involving her family continue. The core of the conflict lies between Aaliyah's uncle, Barry Hankerson, owner of Blackground Records, and his son, Jomo Hankerson.
In May 2021, a contract granted Jomo a 20% stake in Blackground, coinciding with a distribution deal that made Aaliyah's music available again. However, Jomo sued Barry in October 2021, alleging non-payment of profits. Barry counterclaimed, accusing Jomo of coercion and stealing Aaliyah's master recordings under duress.
A late 2022 settlement reduced Jomo's stake to 12% and involved a $1.3 million payment. Yet, in early 2026, Jomo filed a new lawsuit, claiming Barry systematically cheated him out of royalties. Barry responded with a counterclaim, again seeking to void Jomo's stake and alleging financial misconduct, even blaming Jomo for Aaliyah's fatal 2001 plane crash.
Separately, Aaliyah's mother, Diane Haughton, is in a legal skirmish with Barry over royalty payments. Blackground sued Diane in May 2026 to reclaim a $243,000 payment made in 2023, citing a 2003 settlement that purportedly barred further claims.
