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80-525: The film is dedicated to Aaliyah, who died in a plane crash on August 25, 2001, after completing her scenes in the production. It was distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and released in the United States on February 22, 2002, and in Australia on April 4, 2002. It received mostly negative reviews from critics, and grossed just over $ 45 million against a $ 35 million production budget. The sound of

160-429: A nu metal band arouses the vampire Lestat de Lioncourt from a lengthy slumber, and he proceeds to take over as their lead singer. Achieving international success with the ensemble, which he names The Vampire Lestat, and having revealed the existence of vampires, he taunts his own kind during an interview to advertise his first and only live concert. Jesse Reeves , a researcher for the paranormal studies group Talamasca,

240-637: A Mediterranean island and vampirized by Marius de Romanus, formerly a talented painter, and his violin playing awoke Akasha , the first vampire. Increasingly intrigued, Jesse tracks Lestat down to a London vampire club called The Admiral's Arms, where he saves her from three vampires and confronts her about Marius. Visiting Lestat in Los Angeles, Marius warns him that the other vampires will not tolerate his flamboyant public profile; he reveals that Lestat's music has awakened Akasha and unsuccessfully implores him to cancel his concert. Meanwhile, Akasha arrives at

320-499: A cameo as herself. Warner Bros. Pictures had acquired the film rights to several of Anne Rice 's novels—the first three The Vampire Chronicles and The Mayfair Witches trilogy—after a 1988 takeover of Lorimar Productions . An eventual adaptation of Interview with the Vampire (directed by Neil Jordan and produced by David Geffen ) was released in 1994, although not without controversy, particularly over fan reaction to

400-456: A charter operator in order to build up flying time." Penagaricano claimed Morales was "certainly" qualified to pilot a Cessna 402B. Shortly before the crash, Morales was fired as a pilot from Golden Airlines in Florida for failing to appear at work. On August 28, 2001, U.S. aviation officials said that Morales had been hired by Blackhawk just two days before the crash and was not authorized by

480-688: A hearse. It was then taken to the Nassau International Airport , where a private jet waited to return the body to Newark International Airport in New Jersey . The other victims' bodies were repatriated on August 29. A U.S. Embassy spokesman reported that Virgin Records America paid the cost of all mortuary services in the Bahamas, the return of the bodies to the U.S., as well as the funerals. Aaliyah's family

560-703: A large cast of international and Australian actors, Queen of the Damned began principal photography on October 2, 2000 and ended on February 27, 2001, in a former biscuit factory, converted into a studio in the Melbourne suburb of St. Albans . Location filming took place around the city of Melbourne, although some filming was done in Los Angeles . For the scenes of Lestat's concert in Death Valley , over 3000 goths were recruited from Melbourne nightclubs and on

640-470: A lawsuit against Virgin Records for not fulfilling its promise to pay Aaliyah's funeral expenses. Turner said she would hold on to the victims' death certificates , which were required before estates could be settled or lawsuits could be filed. Turner said she had been unsuccessful in contacting Virgin executives by telephone calls, letters and faxes . She said the funeral home had a good relationship with

720-466: A man from West Lothian , Scotland, who claimed to have seen it more than a hundred times, killed his friend, Thomas McKendrick, and drank his blood. Upon his arrest, he claimed in court during his trial that Aaliyah's character Queen Akasha told him to do it, saying that it would make him immortal as a vampire. Despite attempting to plead not guilty by reason of insanity, he was declared sane and found guilty of murder before being sentenced to life in prison;

800-478: A pretty bad view of things in our view." Barry & Sons, Inc., a corporation formed in 1992 to develop, promote and capitalize Aaliyah, and to oversee the production and distribution of her records and music videos—in which did business under the name Blackground Records —brought an unsuccessful lawsuit that reached the New York Supreme Court against Instinct Productions LLC, the company that

880-468: A script for THE VAMPIRE LESTAT for union scale (the Writers Guild won't let you write it for free) and a deferred payment not due until release of the picture. They simply weren't interested. It was very painful for me, as I had been talking to a new director they'd hired and we were both excited about the idea. I felt snubbed and hurt and have not bothered to approach them since. The young director

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960-414: A star". Jill Scott said she felt numb over Aaliyah's death given her age, talent and beauty and added, "It hurts, and it's sad, and we'll miss her." On August 27, Star, a shock jock at New York radio station Hot 97 , mocked Aaliyah's death by playing a tape of a woman screaming while a crash was heard in the background. Rumors circulated that he was attacked by friends of Aaliyah, which he denied. Star

1040-619: A state of shock that even if she had survived the crash, her recovery would have been nearly impossible. The bodies, some of them badly burned, were taken to the morgue at Princess Margaret Hospital in Nassau, where they remained until relatives made positive identification. The accident was investigated by the Civil Aviation Department. It determined that the aircraft was over its maximum takeoff weight by more than 900 pounds (410 kg) and had one more passenger than it

1120-518: A stop sign on August 7, 2001; he was booked on a felony cocaine-possession charge. He was also charged for driving with a suspended license and running a stop sign. Morales told officers he was in the area to purchase powder cocaine for a friend. He was sentenced to probation on August 13, 2001. Other reports, such as one by The New York Times and another in the Broward County Sun-Sentinel , questioned whether Morales

1200-405: A vampire preys on human blood before asking her if she truly wants to become one. Lestat is attacked by a group of vampires at his concert in Death Valley , and Marius aids him in defeating most of them until Akasha arrives and promptly carries Lestat with her to her home on an island resort. During their period of sexual intercourse , he becomes spellbound and subservient to her. Jesse awakens in

1280-428: A year later he was discovered dead in his cell of an apparent suicide. Queen of the Damned was released on VHS and DVD on August 27, 2002. Queen of the Damned was released on Blu-ray on September 18, 2012, and re-released on Blu-ray Disc on February 7, 2017. Death of Aaliyah On August 25, 2001, a Cessna 402 twin-engine light aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from Marsh Harbour Airport on

1360-460: Is a case of trying to put a size 12 foot in a size 10 shoe." In May 2002, Aaliyah's parents filed a lawsuit, similar to those filed by the families of Foreman and Dodd, against Virgin Records America in Los Angeles , alleging negligence. Their lawsuit claimed that a "dangerous and unsafe configuration" of the Cessna was the cause of the crash and that it was the "wrong plane" for the charter flight;

1440-403: Is intrigued by his lyrics upon hearing one of his songs play on TV and tells the other members her theory that he really is a vampire. Her mentor, David Talbot , explains to her they already know of his identity and donates Lestat's journal that he recovered so that Jesse can read it, but warns her against pursuing Lestat. In the journal, Lestat recalls that in the winter of 1788, he was brought to

1520-719: Is not going to disclose anything that would involve negligence on behalf of my brother. He has vast experience flying planes. He had been doing it since he was 14... They are talking about a person who cannot defend himself." Morales received his pilot's license in February 2000. His job for Blackhawk was his second attempt to work as a commercial pilot since getting his license. In October 2000, he had been turned down for being too inexperienced after applying to Tropic Air of Fort Lauderdale, Florida . Broward County sheriff's records showed Morales had been caught with crack cocaine in his car after being pulled over for driving through

1600-484: Is released from Akasha's controlling influence. He demands his "crown", and as Akasha openly offers him her arm to feed on, he then turns on her and, aided by the Ancients, begins to drain her blood, diminishing her power; he goes to Jesse and, cradling her in his arms, donates his blood to her as Maharet, who has effectively killed Akasha by drinking her last drop of blood, turns into a marble statue and "sleeps", becoming

1680-407: Is supposed to be developing THE QUEEN OF THE DAMNED which I think is a bad idea, and basically a doomed project. In spite of their showing no interest in me as the screen writer, they have not been able to find one themselves for this bizarre idea of THE QUEEN OF THE DAMNED. I'm not too surprised. I think any respectable script writer would be crazy to tackle that novel without having fully developed

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1760-539: The Abaco Islands of the Bahamas, killing the pilot and all eight passengers on board. Among the victims were American singer and actress Aaliyah and members of her entourage, including a hairdresser, her bodyguard and a record executive. The group had just completed filming of the music video for " Rock the Boat " and had chartered the flight to return to Florida . The subsequent investigation determined that

1840-471: The Queen of the Damned sessions. Vocals were by Davis, keyboards by Gibbs, guitars by James Shaffer , Brian Welch , and Davis, and drums by Vinnie Colaiuta . Davis released the song in downloadable form via Amazon and iTunes on November 16, 2007. Plans to record a duet between Aaliyah and Davis never materialised, due to Aaliyah's death. By July 2001, author Anne Rice had mellowed her previous stance on

1920-455: The internet , then driven on a fleet of buses to a quarry in Werribee to act as extras . The songs for Lestat's band were written and performed by Jonathan Davis of the nu metal band Korn , and Richard Gibbs , although Davis' contractual commitments to Sony BMG meant that his vocals could not appear on the soundtrack album. Instead, the vocals were re-recorded by other musicians for

2000-424: The litigation also asserted that Morales was not properly qualified to operate the aircraft. In addition to suing Virgin Records, the lawsuit named Blackhawk, music video director Harold Williams, Instinct Productions, Big Dog House Films, Blackground Records LLC and Skystream. An investigator for the Civil Aviation Department stated neither Blackhawk nor Skystream had a permit to operate commercial charter flights in

2080-445: The Bahamas as their choice location for her latest video, the project has climaxed on such a tragic note." Two days after she died, on August 27, fans gathered near her former high school to remember her in a candlelight vigil . By August 29, nearly 6,000 people had emailed BBC News "expressing shock and sorrow" at her death. Gladys Knight said she felt "blessed" to have known Aaliyah and stated: "I watched her grow up, and, with

2160-494: The Bahamas. In September 2003, the Haughtons' lawyers filed a notice in federal court that the case had been settled with an agreement to keep the monetary details confidential. In August 2002, the funeral home that had prepared the crash victims' bodies publicly accused Virgin Records America of not paying its bill. Loretta Butler-Turner , of Butler's Funeral Homes and Crematorium in Nassau, told Time magazine that $ 68,000

2240-511: The Bahamas. Gallin's relatives claimed that the label should have hired a "competent" transportation broker and air charter company, and that Blackhawk allowed the pilot to fly the aircraft even though he was unqualified, and took off with it dangerously overloaded. Stuart Grossman represented the Gallin family during the lawsuit and reasoned that even the pilot did not want to take off because of overloading and called it "outrageous". He added: "This

2320-510: The FAA to fly the aircraft for the operator. FAA records showed that Blackhawk was clear to fly aircraft under a single-pilot certificate. However, according to Kathleen Bergen, Morales was not on the name authorization papers. Bergen did not identify the pilot who was on the papers, since "it would not be appropriate" to release it, but confirmed Morales was not qualified to fly the Cessna. Morales' father addressed his son's death and responsibility in

2400-475: The Haughton family was touched by the support they received from fans and reported the condition of the family: "They're hanging in there. It's very tough for them". According to the findings of an inquest conducted by the coroner 's office in the Bahamas, Aaliyah suffered from "severe burns and a blow to the head", in addition to severe shock and a weak heart. The coroner theorized that she went into such

2480-417: The Haughtons' lawyer. According to Spragg, the label also owed the Haughton family money for funeral costs, stating: "Those payments were never made to the family to reimburse those costs, and they were substantial." Turner spoke to E! Online about the case and reflected on how events had unfolded. "Because Aaliyah was, in their words, 'high profile,' they asked us to expedite things. So we were working over

Queen of the Damned - Misplaced Pages Continue

2560-555: The House of Flies) " by Deftones and "Before I'm Dead" by Kidneythieves . The score for the film was also composed by Gibbs and Davis. Both the main soundtrack album and score album were released in 2002. Frank Fitzpatrick and Rich Dickerson were the Music Supervisors for the film and the soundtrack album. The original studio recording of "Careless (Akasha's Lament)" was written and produced by Davis and Gibbs, during

2640-542: The NTSB and the FAA arrived in the Bahamas. On August 31, the day of Aaliyah's funeral, an independent expert of the Cessna Pilots Association reported that the aircraft was overloaded. Blackhawk International Airways came under scrutiny by the FAA, which reported that the charter service had authorization for limited use of the aircraft, including that only one specific, named pilot was permitted to fly

2720-487: The U.S. Embassy, which, according to her, had supported a potential lawsuit against Virgin Records since Butler's was a reputable company. "Now this reputable company [Virgin] has kept us waiting for nearly a year and have basically said, since the Berrys are no longer there, they have no responsibility to us. I don't know if they think we are some sort of Third-World banana republic and we're not up to scratch, but it just gives

2800-444: The aircraft and that Morales was not that authorized pilot. In the three years prior to the crash, Blackhawk had been cited four times for violations. The company was fined $ 1,500 in 1998 (equivalent to $ 2,800 in 2023) for violating safety rules in U.S. airspace. It received a warning for not testing employees for drugs in 1999 and was cited in 2000 for failing to comply with maintenance standards. Gilbert Chacon, head of Blackhawk at

2880-434: The aircraft had attempted to take off while heavily overloaded; the eight passengers exceeded its certified maximum of seven. It also emerged that the pilot falsified records on his experience and qualifications to fly this type of aircraft. Appearing on BET 's 106 & Park on August 21, 2001, Aaliyah announced that shooting of the video for the single " Rock the Boat ", to be directed by Hype Williams , would begin

2960-498: The album. Davis also made a small cameo in the film. When Jesse arrives in Los Angeles, a scalper (Jonathan Davis) attempts to sell her tickets to Lestat's show. The soundtrack also contains other songs featured in the film: "Body Crumbles" by Dry Cell , "Cold" by Static-X , "Dead Cell" by Papa Roach , "Excess" by Tricky , "Headstrong" by Earshot , "Penetrate" by Godhead , " Down with the Sickness " by Disturbed , " Change (In

3040-554: The background story of Lestat. Anyway, that is where it is. During 1999, the script was developed by television writer Scott Abbott and Australian writer/director Michael Petroni . Another Australian, Michael Rymer , was confirmed to direct. Rymer suggested the film be shot in his home city of Melbourne , which would save considerably on production costs. The first actor cast was R&B singer Aaliyah (who had made her film and acting debut in Romeo Must Die ) as Akasha,

3120-433: The casting of Tom Cruise as Lestat , an objection initially shared by Anne Rice, which she recanted after seeing the finished film . After the commercial and critical success of Interview , Neil Jordan began initial development of the novel's sequel, The Vampire Lestat , although this went nowhere. As the rights to the novels would revert to Anne Rice at the end of 2000, initial story meetings to adapt one or both of

3200-479: The company's "growth and prosperity were primarily the result of its efforts to successfully develop and nurture Aaliyah's career". Edmead noted the company was founded in 1992 by Barry Hankerson for the sole purpose of promoting Aaliyah, who was thirteen at the time. The case was ultimately dismissed because New York's wrongful death statute permits only certain people related to the deceased to recover damages for wrongful death. The Jay-Z song " Glory " mentioned

3280-483: The coven, looking for Lestat. After the vampires reveal their plan to kill him at his concert, she torches the club and kills all the vampires inside. Arriving in Los Angeles, Jesse gives Lestat his journal back and asks him to show her what being a vampire is like. He scoffs at the idea, but she convinces him to spend time with her. She later enquires if he can convert her, expressing her desire to be with him and know everything he does. He angrily declines, demonstrating how

Queen of the Damned - Misplaced Pages Continue

3360-864: The crash, with the rapper warning his daughter Blue Ivy Carter to exercise safety in the lyric, "Just make sure the plane you're on is bigger than your carry-on baggage". Darren Wilson (musician) Darren Wilson is drummer of the Chicago-based indie-rock group The Hush Sound . He plays alongside bandmates, Wilson was a member of the band Until Sundown along with Chris Faller , until they were both recruited to play join The Hush Sound in late 2004/early 2005. In late-July through mid-August 2009, Wilson played drums with Mark Rose (formerly of Spitalfield ) on his solo outing, and continues to play scattered live dates regularly. In 2013, The Hush Sound reunited, released new music, and toured around

3440-439: The crash: "Luis was responsible for nine lives – eight plus his own. Someone is going to have to respond for those eight lives. And someone is going to have to respond for his life to me." He said he had spoken to his son in early August 2001 and the younger Morales related he was doing something he was passionate about. The day of the crash was Morales' first official day with Blackhawk, an FAA Part 135 single-pilot operation. He

3520-420: The entire vampire contract terminates in the year 2000. All the properties revert to me at that time, unless production commences—principal photography that is—before then. I don't think it is possible for Warner Bros. to develop anything in that amount of time. They have not been receptive to me or to my ideas at all. Not very long ago, less than a year ago in fact, I begged the executives there to let me write

3600-599: The eponymous Queen of the Damned. The search for an actor to play Lestat took much longer — the idea of Tom Cruise reprising the role was considered but dismissed (ultimately Cruise declined to reprise the role) —although front runners included Wes Bentley , Josh Hartnett , and Heath Ledger . Irish actor Stuart Townsend assumed the role in 2000, and the final cast included Vincent Perez as Marius, Paul McGann as David Talbot, Lena Olin as Maharet, and Marguerite Moreau as Jesse Reeves. Australian actors included Claudia Black as Pandora and Matthew Newton as Armand. With

3680-411: The film Romeo Must Die , heard of her death and was "deeply saddened that she is no longer with us. She was a wonderful and talented artist who will be missed by everyone whose lives she touched." DMX called her "talented, classy, warm, beautiful, compassionate, humble." Damon Dash said he was "crushed and heartbroken over the loss of such a beautiful and talented woman whom I loved deeply and meant

3760-497: The film, much as she had with Interview with a Vampire . When asked about the film's progress, she answered: Everything I hear about the movie is good. Warner Bros. is extremely enthusiastic. They are working very hard to make it perfect. I have no real news. Let me repeat what I mentioned in a recent message. I met Stuart Townsend, the young man who is playing Lestat and he was absolutely charming. He had Lestat's excellent speaking voice and his feline grace. I cannot wait to see him in

3840-625: The film, which she said was something she could not relate to as far as her work was concerned and while she did encourage the studio not to do the film, in the end, it hurt her to see her work "mutilated" as it had been depicted. Queen of the Damned was released in the United States and Canada on February 22, 2002. The film received mostly negative reviews from critics, with several reviewers such as Roger Ebert describing it as "goofy" or "damned". The film has an approval "rotten" rating of 17% at Rotten Tomatoes based on 130 reviews, with

3920-412: The film. By late 2001, Rice had seen the completed film and was sufficiently satisfied to allow her name to be used on promotional material, although she later became disillusioned about it and dismissed the film in 2003, a year after its release, stating that a television series format would be more suited to the source material. Subsequently, Rice urged fans on her Facebook page to "simply forget" about

4000-416: The following day. Nearly sixty people worked on the video in the Bahamas. On August 22, Aaliyah travelled to Miami , Florida , and filmed dance routines backed by a green screen during the day, with underwater shots for the video in the evening. On August 23, Aaliyah and employees of Virgin Records America flew to the Bahamas on two flights using a Fairchild Metro III , chartered through Sky Limo. She

4080-822: The house where she lived as a child, in awe at the sight of her aunt, Maharet , who later reveals herself as a member of the Ancient Vampires. Fearing Akasha's plans for world domination, the Ancient Vampires decide to destroy her by draining her blood. However, they believe that whoever drinks her last drop will not survive. Akasha confronts the Ancient Vampires and interrupts their meeting, with Lestat, empowered by her blood, accompanying her. When they refuse to side with her, Akasha commands him to kill Jesse, seeing her both as an enemy due to being Maharet's descendant and as food, with Akasha planning to make an example out of her to dissuade disobedience. He ostensibly obeys, but after drinking Jesse's blood, comes to his senses and

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4160-601: The new Queen of the Damned. Now a vampire, Jesse visits David, accompanied by Lestat, and returns the journal. When David nervously asks her about life in her current status, Jesse offers to vampirize him, but he declines due to his age. Jesse then bids David farewell and goes to embrace him, but he fearfully rejects the embrace; sensing his hesitation, Jesse looks hurt but nods in understanding and leaves with Lestat. Marius then enters David's office, well aware that David has obsessed over him for many years, and politely greets him. Lestat and Jesse walk hand in hand, among mortals, into

4240-466: The night. Jonathan Davis played a Scalper and also provided the uncredited singing voice for Lestat. In addition to Davis, several real-life musicians also appeared in the film including Darren Wilson as Sound Engineer, Rowland S. Howard as Vampire Guitarist, Hugo Race as Vampire Bass, Robin Casinader as Vampire Pianist, and former Jerk member Johnathan Devoy as James. Serena Altschul made

4320-449: The number of hours he had flown to get the job with his employer, Blackhawk International Airways . Additionally, Morales' toxicology report revealed traces of cocaine and alcohol in his system. The NTSB reported that the maximum allowed gross weight of the aircraft was "substantially exceeded" and that the center of gravity was positioned beyond its rear limit. The U.S. joined the investigation on August 27, 2001, as authorities from

4400-420: The previous four years. At a news conference , attorney Brian Panish charged that the crash victims died instantly because Virgin Records America "put profits over people". In less than a week, the relatives of Gallin sued Virgin Records America, claiming that the label, and its affiliated music and video production units, were liable for his death because they handled the arrangements for Aaliyah's video shoot in

4480-509: The primary character, and the back story of Akasha and the Story of the Twins were omitted, despite these being virtually central to the plot of the novel. Displeased with the lack of progress, and more particularly with the studio's lack of consultation with her over the script development, author Anne Rice wrote a critical reply to a fan's question about the film in 1998: The key factor is that

4560-415: The remaining The Vampire Chronicles began in 1998. The decision was made early to substantially rewrite the plot, and to base most of the movie on the third novel, The Queen of the Damned , as The Vampire Lestat was considered too broad and episodic for a two-hour feature film, although the novel's setup of Lestat's awakening and career as a rock star was used. It was also decided to focus on Lestat as

4640-497: The rest of the world, saw her achieve success with her special and unique talents." She continued: "From an early age, I knew she had enormous talents, an intrinsic gift. When she first performed with me in Las Vegas, she was still quite young, but she already had it – that spark the world would later see and fall in love with." Silbert Mills, an official on Abaco Island, reported the denizens playing her music there and added: "That's

4720-462: The return flight was smaller than the one on which they had originally arrived, but it still had room to take on the whole party and all of their equipment. The passengers had grown impatient because the Cessna was supposed to arrive at 4:30 p.m. EDT, but did not arrive until 6:15 p.m. EDT. Charter pilot Lewis Key claimed to have overheard passengers arguing with the pilot, Luis Morales III, prior to take off, adding that Morales warned them that there

4800-483: The runway. Aaliyah and seven of the eight others on board were killed instantly. Scott Gallin, Aaliyah's security guard, survived the crash, but died shortly afterwards. According to the paramedics on scene, he spent his last moments asking about Aaliyah's condition. One witness recalled the condition of the bodies: "It was an awful sight. Some bodies were so badly disfigured, you couldn't identify them. And two guys were alive – one screaming and screaming for help. He

4880-410: The site's consensus reading: "A muddled and campy MTV -styled vampire movie with lots of eye candy and bad accents." Despite negative reviews, Queen of the Damned nonetheless topped the box office on its opening weekend, against fairly weak competition. The film grossed $ 45.4 million on a $ 35 million budget and was considered a flop. In December 2002, ten months after the film released, Allan Menzies,

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4960-438: The small, overloaded plane and refused to board. After arguing with the rest of her entourage about it, she retreated into a taxicab to rest, claiming that she had a headache. One of the passengers was sent to check on her and proceeded to give her an unidentified pill and a glass of water. She took the pill, fell back asleep, and was aided into the plane. The aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff, about 200 feet (60 m) from

5040-514: The soundtrack's official release: Wayne Static of Static-X ("Not Meant for Me"), David Draiman of Disturbed ("Forsaken"), Chester Bennington of Linkin Park ("System"), Marilyn Manson ("Redeemer"), and Jay Gordon of Orgy ("Slept So Long"). During the end credits "Not Meant for Me" is played. It is Jonathan Davis' version although the credits list it as the Wayne Static version from

5120-418: The time of the crash, pleaded guilty in 1993 to bankruptcy fraud involving another charter service. There was no evidence that Blackhawk managers had prior knowledge of Chacon's background. After the crash, revelations came to light concerning Morales' private life, as well as his activities during the final month before the crash. From an early age, Morales had expressed interest in aviation. His grandfather

5200-457: The weekend to get the bodies out as quickly as possible," Turner said. "[The deal] was all verbal, but the truth of the matter is, [the Berrys] knew they were obliged. They contacted all of the families themselves, sent us all of the necessary information, and told us not to deal directly with the family members, that they would be responsible." It was reported that Aaliyah's parents planned to file

5280-455: The whole tragedy of it. We felt as if we knew her, yet we didn't." Destiny's Child lead singer Beyoncé Knowles praised her good nature and stated: "She was one of the first celebrities we met, she was so nice, we went out, we hung out with her, and it's really sad and we're trying to be strong." Lil' Kim described the crash as "really devastating" and said she "could never find anything bad about her". Actor Jet Li , Aaliyah's co-star from

5360-614: The world to me". And Sean Combs remembered Aaliyah as "just one of those individuals that would light up a room", adding: "She was very down to earth. She was a special individual...We all saw her grow up from a little girl into a woman. It's a hard, sad day for everyone." Ginuwine referred to her as family, said he would miss her and offered his condolences to her family, while speaking to the New York Daily News from Los Angeles. Brian McKnight complimented Aaliyah as being "really genuine and nice and not jaded about being

5440-547: Was a commercial pilot who gave him his first flights at age eleven. Morales began formal flight training at age seventeen at the Isla Grande Flying School at Fernando Ribas Dominicci Airport in Isla Grande, San Juan , Puerto Rico . Following the accident, authorities told his relatives not to discuss the case; however, Morales' sister spoke on behalf of the family: "We are confident the investigation

5520-610: Was broken into pieces and some of the seats were thrown from the aircraft." Fans of Aaliyah were reportedly grieving in New York City , where the singer had spent the first five years of her life before relocating to Detroit . Quincy Jones told the Associated Press that he was devastated by her death. Bahamian tourism minister O. Tommy Turnquest stated: "We find it devastating and most unfortunate that after having this world-famous star Aaliyah and her crew select

5600-562: Was certified to carry. An informational report issued by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) stated, "The airplane was seen lifting off the runway, and then nose down, impacting in a marsh on the south side of the departure end of runway 27." It indicated that pilot Morales was not approved to fly the aircraft. Morales had falsely obtained his FAA license by showing logs of hundreds of flight hours he had never flown. He may also have falsified

5680-545: Was hired in August 2001 to produce the music video for "Rock the Boat". In May 2004, a judge ruled that Blackground could sue Instinct. Blackground had filed a negligence lawsuit in civil court against Instinct in November 2003. Instinct argued that Blackground had no right to recover damages since Aaliyah was a company employee. Judge Carol Edmead, however, found that Aaliyah was also Blackground's chief asset. She wrote that

5760-400: Was horribly burned all over." A pilot who witnessed the crash saw the Cessna go down as he was working on some machinery "about half a mile" (0.8 km) away. He recalled the aircraft being only "60 to 100 feet" (18 to 30 m) off the ground before it crashed. He went to get a fire truck and was stunned by what he saw upon arriving at the crash site. "It was pretty devastating. The aircraft

5840-490: Was in fact taken when Aaliyah arrived in the Bahamas on Thursday, August 23. On Saturday, August 25, at 6:50 p.m. ( EDT ), after she had completed her portions of the music video, Aaliyah and Virgin employees boarded a twin-engine Cessna 402B ( registration N8097W) at the Marsh Harbour Airport , on the Abaco Islands , for the return trip back to Opa-locka Airport in Florida. The aircraft designated for

5920-476: Was not registered with the FAA to fly for Blackhawk and, as a result of the accident, Aaliyah's parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the company, which was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount. The families of Foreman and Dodd filed lawsuits against Virgin Records America, alleging the record company was negligent in chartering the aircraft that crashed, killing all the passengers. The lawsuit noted that Blackhawk had been cited four times in

6000-463: Was qualified to fly the aircraft. Gabriel Penagaricano, a lawyer for the Morales family, dismissed any questions about his flight record as "the words of a fool". He defended Morales as a "young man, totally dedicated to his profession ... [who] had set his sights on flying for one of the major airlines. In the meantime, he was doing what everybody else of his age and experience does, which is to fly for

6080-416: Was scheduled to leave the Bahamas on August 26, but chose to leave the day before since she had finished early. Williams recalled, "Aaliyah left mid-production, so we were still shooting when she left." The New York Post printed one of the last photographs taken of Aaliyah, with a fan who wanted it as a souvenir, but wrongly labeled it as having been taken just before the crash flight departed. The photo

6160-422: Was spent preparing the bodies and, at the time, Virgin executives Ken and Nancy Berry agreed to cover all expenses. At the time of Turner's announcement, the Berrys had left the record label. Turner tried to contact executives at Virgin Records and appealed to the U.S. Embassy in Nassau for help, but failed to resolve the situation. Although the funeral home did not take legal action, Turner did contact Robert Spragg,

6240-536: Was staying at the Trump International Hotel in New York when her body was returned. Staff reported flowers and condolences had been sent in steadily since her death. A worker at the reception desk disclosed that at least 500 bouquets, delivered mostly by grieving fans, had arrived for the family in the three days between the crash and the return of her body. Aaliyah's publicist, Jill Fritzo, said

6320-477: Was suspended and expressed remorse for his actions, admitting they were in "poor taste". He said, "I'm trying not to make fun of anything Aaliyah-related right now, because I'm aware people are trying to focus all their anger on me." On August 28, Aaliyah's remains were transported from the Bahamas back to the United States. Over 100 people waited outside the funeral home in Nassau as four men lifted her coffin into

6400-500: Was too much weight for a "safe flight". Key further stated: "He tried to convince them the plane was overloaded, but they insisted they had chartered the plane and they had to be in Miami Saturday night." Key indicated that Morales gave in to the passengers and that he had trouble starting one of the engines. According to Kathy Iandoli 's 2021 biography, Aaliyah was a nervous flier. She had serious reservations about flying on

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