With Aaliyah’s albums finally made available for streaming, her uncle Barry Hankerson seems to have been on a promotional tour discussing his late niece, her success, and her haunting past with former alleged husband R. Kelly.
Hankerson signed Aaliyah to his record label Blackgroud Records when she was just 12 years old. That same year, she had been introduced to the “Step In The Name Of Love” singer, who would become her mentor and so much more.
In a recent interview with Dr. Oz, the music exec is now claiming that his sister Diane was fully aware of the ordeal her daughter had endured under the hands of Kelly, adding that she knows much more than she’s willing to share with the public.
Hankerson remains adamant that he had “no clue” about Kelly and Aaliyah’s relationship and was “completely ignorant” to the abuse.
When questioned on the chances of other people in the family having known about the “Try Again” singer’s romance with Kelly while she was in her teens, he asserted that his sibling would have known about the ins and outs of it all.
“Yes. I think my sister knew a lot more than what we thought she knew.”
Fans are in uproar about the remark, convinced that there had been nobody in Aaliyah’s life that was trying to protect her from Kelly, who is currently facing trial for allegedly sexually abusing minors.
One fan stressed that Aaliyah’s family had ultimately failed her.
Meanwhile, prosecutor Maria Cruz Melendez claimed in a recent court hearing that Kelly had married Aaliyah after panicking when he found out she was pregnant with his child — and still underage.
Per Revolt, “One night in 1994, while the defendant was on tour, he got some news about Aaliyah. She thought.
“This, of course, was a huge problem for him. Why? Because at the time Aaliyah was only 15 years old and if she was pregnant, that meant that there would be questions, a lot of questions... So, the defendant and his circle came up with a plan... that would keep him out of jail if anyone found out.”