Lauryn Hill pleaded guilty on Friday to three counts of tax evasion.
As Gossip Cop previously reported, the singer was charged earlier this monthwith failure to file federal tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service on more than $1.6 million in earnings during 2005, 2006 and 2007.
Hill appeared in a New Jersey court room on Friday, where her attorney said she plans to pay what she owes.
Still, the Grammy winner faces up to one year in prison on each count.
At the hearing, Hill was asked if anyone influenced her plea, to which she reportedly replied, “Indirectly, I’ve been advised my ability to speak out directly is for another time, at sentencing.”
She will be sentenced in November, according to the Associated Press.
After news of Hill’s tax evasion broke, she wrote a lengthy blog post explaining she didn’t file her returns because she chose to live “underground” for the “safety” of her family.
“Obviously, the danger I faced was not accepted as reasonable grounds for deferring my tax payments, as authorities, who despite being told all of this, still chose to pursue action against me, as opposed to finding an alternative solution,” she wrote.
Hill noted that she faithfully paid her taxes while she was “working consistently,” and “only stopped when it was necessary to withdraw from society, in order to guarantee the safety and well-being of myself and my family.”
She concluded, “As this, and other areas of issue are resolved and set straight, I am able to get back to doing what I should be doing, the way it should be done.”
What do you think of Hill’s explanation, and do you think she should be imprisoned?
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