As Aaliyah’s catalog finally crawls on to streaming services, there’s been more discussion surrounding the iconic singer’s romantic relationship with embattled R&B star R. Kelly.
During a recent interview with Dr. Oz, Aaliyah’s uncle, former entertainment lawyer and Blackground Records co-founder Barry Hankerson claimed he was unaware Kelly was sexually abusing the underage artist but suggested Aaliyah’s mother was more tuned in to what was going on behind the scenes.
“Didn’t have a clue,” he said. “Completely ignorant to it. But I think my sister knew a lot more than what we thought she knew.”
Barry Hankerson signed Aaliyah to Blackground Records when she was just 12 years old. He later introduced her to R. Kelly who wound up becoming her mentor and lead producer of her Age Ain’t Nothin’ But A Number debut. When Aaliyah was a mere 15 years old, she and the 27-year-old Kelly secretly married on August 31, 1994. Her parents had the illegal union annulled just six months later.
More details surrounding their relationship came to light in the 2019 Lifetime documentary Surviving R. Kelly. Former backup dancer Jovante Cunningham claimed to have witnessed Kelly having sex with Aaliyah on his tour bus, while Demetrius Smith remembered Kelly thinking he’d impregnated the young R&B chanteuse.
Aaliyah's Family Calls Out Legacy Leeches As Her Music Finally Readies To Hit Streaming Services
Kelly, who’s currently on trial in New York City for multiple sex crime charges, also stands accused of performing a sex act on Aaliyah when she was just 13 or 14. According to the BBC, a witness only identified as former backup dancer Angela took the witness stand earlier this week and testified she saw the incident take place on a tour bus.
Kelly has denied all allegations, including one count of racketeering which suggests Kelly is more of a “kingpin” whose explicit purpose was “to prey upon young women and teenagers” for sexual purposes. He has also been charged with eight counts of violating an interstate anti-sex trafficking law.
Although he’s not charged with rape or assault, prosecutors are allowed to present evidence of potential crimes related to the racketeering charge, regardless of when they occurred.
Over the years, Kelly has refused to divulge details regarding his relationship with Aaliyah. As he told MTV News in 2003, “Out of respect for her, and her mom and her dad, I will not discuss Aaliyah. That was a whole other situation, a whole other time, it was a whole other thing, and I’m sure that people also know that.”
He had all the money in the world but he just couldn’t control his messed up urges for little girls, what a dumbass and a scumbag
I’m calling duck tales on Hankerson, he knew. Everyone knew, that’s why they snatched Aaliyah up when they initially found out about R.Kelly
They didn’t snatch her up. The relationship ended because the shit got out of hand. All these mofos knew. Sparkle took her niece to him to get on too. I hate when people act brand new about shit that they knew was going on. Like I got nieces. If they were fucking around with boys let alone grown men, I have a clue what’s going on, and I live in a whole other state on the other side of the country.
He was there negotiating the contracts and shit, but he didn’t know his little niece was fucking. Not only R. Kelly but other dudes in the industry too. Why you think Dame and Jay were so thirsty for a 19/20 year old? Because they had been fucking with her since she was 15/16. Dude need to quit, and the public needs to quit like they give a fuck about this shit.
Really???? So then it makes it OK for a 27-year-old man to sleep with a 13 or 14-year-old? He’s a pedophile!!!!! I hope he goes to jail for the rest of his life.
Where did I say that illiterate? I’m telling you that everybody knew what was up because it happens all of the time in that industry and she had already been fucking older men before and after him. There is a reason most child stars are extremely fucked up after their career is over and why certain kids from fucked up homes are the ones who get the breaks. Foxy Brown was 15 when she was running around half naked sucking the dick of a whole ass 26 or 27 year old Jay. She was publicly linked to X and Kurupt while she was still underage. Corey Feldman said Charlie Sheen bent him over at 14 or some shit and dry fucked him up the ass on the set of a movie in broad daylight, and he still won’t name some powerful person in the industry who molested him because he’s scared of their influence. The only reason people care about Aaliyah is because she was a pretty girl, and she died.
r. kelly you old dog.
She deserved better
My heart goes out to this girl. She would have done better. R Kelly is a dog and sick minded freak and should rot in jail for the rest of his life.