Source: Marc Baptiste / Marc Baptiste
The mother of late R&B icon Aaliyah is fed up with the media and trolls “interrupting” her peace and her daughter’s legacy. Diane Haughton took to the singer’s social media accounts on Tuesday to call out the author who unlawfully promoted their book that divulged personal details into the singer’s life. Haughton alleged that the writer recently visited her daughter’s gravesite attempting to promote the unauthorized book.
“First and foremost, I want to thank my dear ‘Special Ones’ (The Fans) that have been with us for years and supported every endeavor that came our way without hesitation,” Haughton wrote. “However, due to the behavior of an individual that has been to Aaliyah’s resting place in order to promote a book, I have been forced to make a drastic change at Ferncliff Cemetery and Mausoleum.”
She continued, “This person interrupted all my thoughts and ideas to make August 25th, 2021 a day of Remembrance and Love for my daughter. Please accept my sincere apologies for this and know I love you and always will. Aaliyah’s life will still shine no matter what.”
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Some people pointed fingers at Kathy Iandoli as the suspected culprit. The writer recently debuted her new book “Baby Girl: Better Known as Aaliyah” without the family’s consent. However, the journalist was quick to shut down the rumors.
“I did not promote my book outside of Aaliyah’s gravesite,” Iandoli tweeted on Aug. 24. “That is offensive to even suggest. I have been told that fans have had my book there with them. Please no longer bring my book to Ferncliff. Apologies that fans can not visit Aaliyah’s resting place.”
Iandoli made some shocking claims in the new book including one theory that the “One in a Million” crooner could have been drugged before she boarded the airplane that unfortunately took her life.
In an interview with Vanity Fair earlier this month, Iandoli said she “did her due diligence” by asking the family to be involved with the project, but of course, they declined. The former Vibe magazine contributor added that despite the family’s disapproval, she decided to move forward writing the book with the hopes of “glorifying Aaliyah.”
“I did what I had to do while still holding her up in the highest regard, and sometimes that involves having to tell certain parts of the story that have been kind of covered for so long. I think in order to get the panoramic view of just how dynamic she was, you have to show the peaks and valleys,” she explained.
