Lauryn Hill 'Very Real Threats': 'Doo Wop' Singer Explains Tax Evasion and Departure from Spotlight Due to Apparent Attacks Against Her Family

Former Fugees member and Grammy Award-winning singer Lauryn Hill apparently has not been paying taxes, but she has given a reason why. After being charged with 3 counts of tax evasion, 37-year-old Hill has filed court documents that claim that she did not pay due to threats against her family. She also points out that these "very real threats" were also the reason why she was out of the spotlight for so long.

According to these official legal documents filed in a New Jersey court, Lauryn Hill stopped paying taxes "when she withdrew from society at large due to what she perceived as manipulation and very real threats to herself and her family." She has asked for leniency due to extenuated circumstances.

Though she does not go into detail about these mysterious threats, this does give us somewhat of an explanation as to why the R&B star disappeared after her huge commercial success with the Grammy Award-winning album The Miseducation of Lauren Hill.

The singer previously stated that her departure from the spotlight was due to her wanting to get back to her musical roots.

Hill is accused of owing more than $1.6 million and up to three years in prison. She has already pleaded guilty but has filed these legal documents as a plea. Her sentencing is set for April 22. She has requested that the court allow her to serve any sentenced time on probation in order to make it easier for her to pay back what she owes more quickly.

What do you think of Lauryn Hill's claims about threats against her family? Do you think she is telling the truth or just trying to get out of jail time? She was released on bail in June of 2012, so why file these legal documents with only days before the sentencing?