Lauryn Hill faces three years in jail after pleading guilty to tax evasion charges in a federal court Friday, according to a statement by U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman. The former Fugees member took responsibility for failing to file taxes on $1.8 million of income during a three-year period.
In addition to a jail sentence, the acclaimed hip-hop star also faces $75,000 in fines. Hill is scheduled to be sentenced in November.
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Earlier in the month, the reclusive songbird used her Tumblr account to explain why she intentionally didn’t file tax returns for the years 2005, 2006 and 2007. The long, rambling justification said she had a “relatively simple life, even after huge successes.”
“There were no exotic trips, no fleet of cars, just an all out war for safety, integrity, wholeness and health, without mistreatment denial, and/or exploitation,” she wrote. “In order to liberate myself from those who found it ok to oppose my wholeness, free speech and integral growth by inflicting different forms of punitive action against it, I used my resources to sustain our safety and survival until I was able to restore my ability to earn outside of it!”
The former critical and commercial darling went on to detail struggles she had in the music industry and how she sought to “put my safety, health and freedom and the freedom, safety and health of my family first over all other material concerns!”
But the IRS didn’t buy into Hill’s excuses and filed charges against her. Hill’s attorney says the government targeted the musician because of her celebrity.
"There are many people in society who fail to file their taxes on time who only face civil liability," Nathan Hockman told The New Jersey Star-Ledger. "They chose Ms. Hill in particular because of who she was."
Hill’s tax troubles are the latest in negativity publicity the star has had. After her 1998 debut solo album, “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” sold more than 10 million copies and netted five Grammy awards, Hill became a sort of musical recluse.
Rumors swirled about her mental health, thanks to some odd behavior. And other than MTV Unplugged album in 2002, the 37-year-old hasn’t released a complete studio album since.
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