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Michael Egan, right, comforts his mother Bonnie Mound as he announces the filing of three more lawsuits for sexual abuse of an underage boy, during a news conference at the Four Season Hotel in Los Angeles on April 21, 2014. A similar suit was filed against Bryan Singer, the director of 'X-Men.' (Anne Cusack / MCT / )

Jun 29 (TheWrap.com) - Zendaya will no longer play the iconic R&B singer Aaliyah in biopic planned by Lifetime, the network said on Sunday.

“We are sad Zendaya will no longer portray Aaliyah. Production is currently on hold,†Lifetime's public relations department said on Twitter.

Lifetime's confirmation follows a statement via Zendaya's representative obtained by TheWrap on Sunday saying the 17-year-old Disney star “is no longer involved in the project.â€

The proposed television movie project had been mired in controversy with both fans of the singer and her family expressing disapproval of the project, including fan petitions seeking to shut down the production.

According to Lifetime's announcement, Zendaya was also meant to re-record at least four of Aaliyah's songs. According to E!'s sources, Zendaya left the project amid “production issues, including problems obtaining the rights to Aaliyah's music.â€

When TheWrap spoke to Jomo Hankerson, Aaliyah's cousin and president of her label Blackground Records, he said that the family was ready to withhold whatever rights it holds regarding Aaliyah from the production.

“Because we control the masters [to Aaliyah's recordings], the rights and some images of the musical elements that we put together like the videos, and photo shoots and things that we did, what we can just withhold those elements from the production, which we would do,†Hankerson told TheWrap.

That would make it difficult for the production, but not impossible to gain usage rights to Aaliyah's songs. Blackground Records owns the recordings of Aaliyah's voice, but not the publishing rights. So, Lifetime can purchase right to the re-record the songs from the song writers, which include Timbaland, Missy Elliott and the late Static Major.

Although Zendaya was targeted by Aaliyah fans who didn't approve of her casting, Hankerson wanted to make it clear that Aaliyah's family had nothing against the young singer and actress.

“I think she's a lovely young girl,†Hankerson said. “I have a problem with the whole production, so casting would be a part of it. But I never wanted to single her out, because I think that she's a good, young actress and that she's just trying to take an opportunity that was presented to her.â€

The working title for the television movie was “Aaliyah: Princess of R&B†and is based on the bestselling book “Aaliyah: More Than a Woman†by former Time music editor Christopher Farley.

The film will be produced by Aaliyah Productions, Inc., with Howard Braunstein (“The Informant!â€) and Debra Martin Chase (“Sparkleâ€) executive producing. Bradley Walsh (“Turn the Beat Aroundâ€) is directing, working from a script by Michael Elliot (“Brown Sugarâ€). It was set to film this summer for a fall premiere.

Also read: Lifetime Producing Unauthorized ‘Saved by the Bell’ Movie â€' Are You So Excited?

Lifetime also recently announced it's working on a Whitney Houston biopic, directed by Angela Bassett. Former “America's Next Top Model†contender-turned-actress YaYa DaCosta will play the legendary singer. Yolonda Ross is set to play the “Bodyguard†actress’ longtime friend and rumored lesbian lover, Robyn Crawford. It's scheduled to premiere in 2015.