Lauryn Hill has responded, via a lengthy post on her Tumblr page on Friday, to the three tax evasion charges that could prompt her to call jail home for a maximum of three years. And let’s just say, her explanation probably won’t hold up as to why she hasn’t ran Uncle Sam his money, but we love that she tried.
Federal prosecutors said the eight-time Grammy Award winner didn’t pay taxes on more than $1.5 million earned in 2005, 2006 and 2007 from recording and film royalties.
“The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill” singer said she failed to pay her taxes from 2005 to 2007 because she became a hermit to guarantee the safety and well-being of herself and her family.
“Over-commercialization and its resulting restrictions and limitations can be very damaging and distorting to the inherent nature of the individual,” Hill continued. “I did not deliberately abandon my fans, nor did I deliberately abandon any responsibilities, but I did however put my safety, health and freedom and the freedom, safety and health of my family first over all other material concerns! I also embraced my right to resist a system intentionally opposing my right to whole and integral survival.”
Not once denying she owed taxes, the ”Zion” singer wrote that she explained her actions when she was questioned by the authorities.
“When artists experience danger and crisis under the effects of this kind of insidious manipulation, everyone easily accepts that there was something either dysfunctional or defective with the artist, rather than look at, and fully examine, the system and its means and policies of exploiting/’doing business’. Not only is this unrealistic, it is very dark in its motivation, conveniently targeting the object of their hero worship by removing any evidence that they ‘needed’ or celebrated this very same resource just years, months or moments before.”
“My intention has always been to get this situation rectified. When I was working consistently without being affected by the interferences mentioned above, I filed and paid my taxes,” she wrote. “This only stopped when it was necessary to withdraw from society, in order to guarantee the safety and well-being of myself and my family.”
A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for New Jersey couldn’t comment on Hill’s posting.
Do you think Lauryn’s reason is sufficient?
