Just when Lauryn Hill (and the rest of us) thought her tax troubles were a thing of the past comes this shocking news. The mother of six has been sentenced to three months in prison over her delinquent tax bill.
News of the sentencing comes just after Hill’s attorney confirmed that she paid over $900,000 on the remaining debt yesterday, one day before she was due back in court. It appears that the attempt– and the release of a new song in accordance with her new record deal with Sony that allotted her the money to pay back Uncle Sam–weren’t enough to convince a judge that she deserves to be free.
From the Associated Press:
Grammy-winning singer Lauryn Hill has been sentenced to three months in prison for failing to pay taxes on about $1 million in earnings.
She was also sentenced Monday in Newark to three additional months of home confinement.
The 37-year-old South Orange resident pleaded guilty last year in the case.
During a forceful statement to the judge, Hill explained she had always meant to eventually pay the taxes but was unable to during a period of time when she dropped out of the music business.
Before the sentencing, her attorney had said Hill had paid more than $970,000 to satisfy the state and federal tax liabilities.
Shortly before being sentenced, the New Jersey native offered another explanation as to how things got out of hand. “I needed to be able to earn so I could pay my taxes, without compromising the health and welfare of my children, and I was being denied that,” she said.
Hill faced a maximum one year sentence for each of the three charges stemming from her more than $1 million in tax debt. It is unclear when she will report to custody.
Stick with Hip-Hop Wired for more updates, as this story develops.
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photo: TMZ
