Hill: I Dodged Taxes While Guarding My Family

Lauryn Hill admits she paid no taxes for a few years, but says she was busy protecting herself and her family from popular culture, the New York Post reports. In a long Tumblr post, the singer said yesterday that she withdrew from society and cast aside pop culture's "climate of hostility, false entitlement, manipulation, racial prejudice, sexism and ageism." Meanwhile, she paid no taxes on more than $1.5 million grossed between 2005 and 2007.

"My intention has always been to get this situation rectified," wrote Hill, who says authorities "still chose to pursue action against me" even after she explained herself. The IRS charged her this week with three counts of failing to file tax returns. As for her withdrawal, she insists she "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!" (More Lauryn Hill stories.)