Kathy Iandoli, the author of Aaliyah’s biography, has quickly shot down the “absurd” rumors that she advertised “Baby Girl: Better Known as Aaliyah” at the late singer’s gravesite.
On Tuesday, the author clarified her stance on Twitter and Instagram, stating, “I did not promote my book outside of Aaliyah’s gravesite,” she pointed out. “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’s response came after Aaliyah’s mother, Diane Haughton, issued a statement on Instagram that read: “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. However, due to the behavior of an individual that has been to Aaliyah’s resting place to promote a book, I have been forced to make a drastic change at Ferncliff Cemetery and Mausoleum.”
The statement 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,” the message added. “Aaliyah’s life will still shine no matter what.”
Previously, Kathy has stated that she asked Aaliyah’s family if she could write the book. She told Vanity Fair, “It’s a strange legal situation involving the estate of Aaliyah, and I learned the complexities of this after Prodigy passed away because you have the human and then you have the personality, the artist, the image.”
“There’s a lot that I dig through in the book that explains why those are two very separate entities and why it’s not always a priority to get a blessing when you’re trying to highlight the essence of the celebrity, the story,” she continued. “But I have my suspicions about why they can’t speak on certain things or what their concerns are about certain things, and I do delve into that in the book, and a lot of it involves some legal issues.”
