Singer and one-time saviour of R&B music Lauryn Hill has pleaded guilty to three counts of failing to file federal income tax returns at a court in New Jersey. The Grammy-winning singer is set to face a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine for each charge.
Hill, who is best known for her time as the singer/rapper in the now disbanded Fugees and for her 1998 solo album, The Miseducation' of Lauryn Hill, pleaded guilty to failing to file federal tax returns between 2005 and 2007, despite earning more than $1.8m (£1.15m) over this time. Her earning came largely from film and recording royalties.
The reclusive singer said very little whilst in court and left without making her statement. She was released on $150,000 bail, with the conditions of the bail allowing her to leave the country for music tours.
Hill, a mother to six children, had already responded to the charges earlier this month in a lengthy statement, saying she had chosen to "defer" payments during a period of retreat from society to protect her family's safety. The statement contained little specifics and was generally an attack on the commercialization of the music industry and having her freedom of speech impeded.
Her sentencing date was set for 27 November.