All About Laughs
The more years that have passed the more tragic the life of singer Aaliyah Haughton appears. The 22 year old star tragically perished in a horrible plane crash in 2001, but its the details that have come out about her life prior to the accident that are truly the most disturbing.
Born January 16, 1979, Aaliyah was prepped for stardom at an early age and throughout her teens by various powerful men. Her uncle Barry Hankerson, was an entertainment lawyer who had been married to Gladys Knight. Hankerson groomed Aaliyah and took her out on tour with Gladys before signing her at the age of 12.
The next major man to step into Aaliyah’s life was R.Kelly. The then 27 year old R&B star quickly began her mentor as well as lead songwriter and producer of her first album, which was recorded when she was 14.
Famously Kelly and Aaliyah’s relationship veered into the inappropriate when they got married on August 31, 1994 at the Sheraton Gateway Suites in Rosemont, Illinois; she was only 15. They reportedly faked her age on the certificate to say she was 18. The illegal marriage was annulled in February 1995 by her parents, who have been heavily criticized in the years since for failing their young daughter.
The next man to step into Aaliyah’s life musically was Virginia producer Timbaland.
Born Timothy Zachary Mosley, Tim’s music is synonymous with Aaliyah’s legacy. They worked on some of her biggest hits together including “Are You That Somebody”, “Try Again”, “We Need a Resolution” & “One in a Million”.
While things appeared more appropriate between the two, resurfaced interviews from Timbaland began to circulate on his birthday this past week allude to him wanting more from the underaged star, despite him knowing better.
“When I first met Aaliyah—it’s time for the world to hear this, I’m gonna give a little secret—I was in love with her,” Timbaland said. “I said, ‘She [is] just a baby, I’m old. I’m just gonna be her brother. Oh man, I was fightin’, I was fightin’ a lot—a big war. But I loved Aaliyah.”
Me: R. Kelly was 27 and dating a 15 year old Aaliyah. Timbaland was 23 and in love with a 16 year old Aaliyah.
— Reid (@RVAReid) March 10, 2021
Twitter: That was normal for that time.
The music legend continued to double down, admitting that he fell in love with his wife because she reminded him of Aaliyah.
“When I first met my wife, I knew I was going to marry her because she looked like Aaliyah,” he said.
