Barry Hankerson Claims Aaliyah's Mother "Knew A Lot More" About R. Kelly Relationship

BY Erika Marie 25.5K Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
RJ Capak / Contributor / Getty Images
Aaliyah
The singer's uncle sat down for an interview and a brief clip has Aaliyah fans upset.

Fuel has been added to the fire of the scandal involving the relationship between Aaliyah and R. Kelly. It has been long and widely reported that the disgraced singer carried on an inappropriate relationship with Aaliyah when she was a young teen, even marrying her when she was just 15 years old. Sadly, Aaliyah would never get the chance to share her side of what occurred during those early years as she was entrusted to Kelly by her family to help shape her career, but there has been speculation for decades.

We have recently seen Aaliyah's catalog make its way to DSPs now that Blackground Records is back up and running thanks to its owner, Aaliyah's uncle, Barry Hankerson. He has been on a press run to speak about his new app as well as Aaliyah's life and career, and recently, he sat down with Dr. Oz.

Getty Images 

During the chat, Hankerson was once again asked about Aaliyah's relationship with Kelly, and he was insistent that he did not know that she was allegedly being sexually abused. "Didn't have a clue," he said. "Completely ignorant to it." However, he did admit that there were members of the family that knew about what was going on.

"I think my sister knew a lot more than what we thought she knew," Hankerson said of Diane Haughton, Aaliyah's mother. This brief clip has slowly begun circulating online and fans aren't believing his story. However, there have been rumors about who did and did not know about Aaliyah and R. Kelly. People have come forward to blast Hankerson over this interview as they recalled him continuing to work with Kelly following Aaliyah's death.

Check it out below.

About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.