Many fans are wondering what Aaliyah's family has been up to in the years since she died. Unfortunately, Michael died from cancer in 2012, 11 years after his daughter. Diane is still alive, and she's even weighed in on coverage of her daughter, especially as it relates to the many allegations that have been made against R. Kelly, who was instrumental in the early part of Aaliyah's career and may also have had a sexual relationship with her when she was underage.
Around the time that Surviving R. Kelly, a documentary that publicized a variety of horrifying accusations against the singer, was airing, Diane issued a response to Jovante Cunningham, one of R. Kelly's backup singers who claimed to have seen the singer having sex with Aaliyah while she was underage. In response, Diane said that isn't possible because she and Michael were always with their daughter on tour.
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“The woman and so-called backup singer in the forthcoming Surviving… documentary that describes seeing, meeting, or ever breathing the same air as my daughter, Aaliyah, is lying and a liar,” Diane's statement read. “My husband and I were always on tour with her and at interviews and every place she went throughout her entire career."
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"Whoever this woman is, I have never seen her before anywhere on planet Earth, until now," the statement continued. "These lies and fabrications cannot be tolerated and allowed to be spewed from the forked tongues of saboteurs of Aaliyah’s legacy."
For years, rumors have circulated that there was an inappropriate relationship between R. Kelly and Aaliyah, and some have even claimed that the two were married.
R. Kelly has insisted instead that the two were "best friends" and repeatedly denied the allegation that they were ever married.
Aaliyah has a legacy that should exist entirely separate from the allegations involving R. Kelly. Unfortunately, the rest of her career is often ignored in part because of her complex, possibly abusive relationship with R. Kelly. Clearly, it seems that her mother would rather focus on other parts of her legacy.
