Lauryn Hill Pleads Guilty, Faces Jail Time

By: Jenée Desmond-Harris | Posted: June 29, 2012 at 4:03 PM

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Although a recent Tumblr diatribe suggests that she thinks she was justified in skipping tax payments over three years because she was taking time out of the public eye to protect herself and her family, eight-time Grammy winner Lauryn Hill pleaded guilty to not paying federal taxes on more than $1.5 million in earnings today. She faces a maximum one-year sentence on each of the three counts, and she hinted that she'll speak in more detail about her perspective on the case at her sentencing hearing.

CBS News reports:

Hill admitted she didn't pay taxes on about $818,000 earned in 2005, $222,000 in 2006 and $761,000 in 2007. The money was earned by four corporations she owned ...

After the charges were brought, Hill posted a long statement on her Tumblr page that decried pop culture's "climate of hostility, false entitlement, manipulation, racial prejudice, sexism and ageism." She explained that she hasn't paid taxes since she withdrew from society to guarantee the safety and well-being of herself and her family.

Hill hinted Friday that she might expand on those comments at her sentencing. When Shipp asked her if anyone had directly or indirectly influenced her decision to plead guilty, she replied, "Indirectly, I've been advised my ability to speak out directly is for another time, at sentencing."

Read more at CBS News.

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