Grammy Award winning singer Lauryn Hill was sentenced to three months in prison on Monday, and an additional three months in home confinement for failing to pay taxes on about $1 million in earnings, the Associated Press reported. Hill pleaded guilty last year in the case. Hill explained that she always meant to eventually pay the taxes but was unable to during the period when she dropped out of the music business.
"I needed to be able to earn so I could pay my taxes, without compromising the health and welfare of my children, and I was bein denied that," Hill said on Monday.
Hill's attorney said that his client paid over $970,000 to satisfy the state and federal tax liabilities.
Hill had faced the maximum sentence of one year each on three counts, and her attorney sought probation. They have yet to indicate where and when she is supposed to report to prison, to begin her sentence.
When Hill was arrested last year, she wrote an online blog for her fans, offering a scathing critique of the music world.
"Over-commercialization and its resulting restrictions and limitations can be very damaging and distorting to the inherent nature of the individual," Hill wrote. "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."
