Singer Brian McKnight is trending on social media after doting on his new family, while saying that his older children, born out of wedlock, were products of sin.
Each week, the songwriter, who was raised Seventh-day Adventist, engages with people on social media in a live session titled “WeeklyReplies.”
After praising his stepdaughter Julia as his only daughter on the series and stating how she deserves honor because she respects her parents, McKnight found himself embroiled in the comments section of the video defending his decision to disown his older children, whom he considers an abomination to him.
In the video he was asked “You have a daughter; I wonder how this post makes her feel” on person on TikTok asked him.
His reply was smug, saying, “She feels great. Julia understands the scriptures Exodus 20:12 where it says and I quote ‘Honor thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.’”
Adding, “She honors us and in turn we honor her because she knows how proud of her” before stating that one has to “get rid of the evil and the negativity even if that evil and negativity is related” to them.
Under the post, someone wrote, “The same God that said, ‘honor your father and mother’ also said ‘Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.’ And ‘train up a child in the way he should go & when it is older he will not depart from it.’”
This is VERY nasty work.
— Talk 30 to Me 🇳🇱🇸🇷 (@LisKis93) April 17, 2024
My goodness what in the blasphemous bad father hell? pic.twitter.com/ThiV3jcoi0
“Your children are a reflection of the work & prayers & spirituality & moral compass that parents put into kids,” the person adds, before reminding the “Back at One” singer, “You disowned kids that you created & you are also against God but judgement day is between you & your maker.”
McKnight hoped swiftly replied with an enumerated read, writing, “1. God wasn’t taking about children that are the product of sin which these are 2. I didn’t raise them their mothers did 3. Know the whole story before quoting the Bible 4. Take your inaccurate negativity off my page and try being happy.”
Fans immediately took to social media to drag him, with one person saying, “This is VERY nasty work. My goodness what in the blasphemous bad father hell?”
Another person wrote, “Brian McKnight is just genuinely a bad person bruh. He could be like every other deadbeat and just ignore them kids but he always gotta be a extra evil about it. They continued in another post writing, “I didn’t abandon my children They were a product of sin so Jesus said they don’t count as children” is just such an egregious position to take. Ain’t no way this man really believes that.”
“If you see his second set of kids, you’ll see why he hates his older kids,” a X user noted, adding, “He’s been like this for a long time now.”
In response to McKnight calling Julia his only daughter, one woman said, “You’re in denial sweet. Your one and only daughter is Briana no matter how many times you try and deny it’s still Briana.”
“The individual you speak of ‘Briana’ is illegitimate and I don’t acknowledge her existence,” the singer replied, “She is definitely not my daughter. Thanks for letting me make that clear again though.”
This is Brian McKnight said about is daughter! I took this screenshot shot. I hate this man so much #brianmcknight #deadbeat #Selfhate pic.twitter.com/djaFaoNJzE
— Zeke (@Zmedic1982) April 19, 2024
McKnight’s ex, Patricia Driver, is the mother of his first-born daughter, Briana, who sued him in 2021 for defamation and invasion of privacy after alleging she had an inappropriate relationship with a family member. In her amended complaint, Briana accused her father of not making payments toward a $1 million insurance policy. The case was settled in 2023.
Briana and her two older brothers, Brian Jr. and Niko have each described acts of being abandoned by their father as children and adults. However, the “One Last Cry” singer has denied their claims.
“Sending love to Brian Jr, Niko and Briana — it’s bad enough having a deadbeat dad but to have him, year after year, proclaim with his whole chest that he disowns them while simultaneously gaslighting them on social media… truly the most insecure, toxic & pathetic man around,” wrote one empathetic fan on X.
#picstitch what it's all about!!!!! pic.twitter.com/bgWIepkunz
— Brian McKnight (@ItsBMcKnight) June 16, 2013
Another added, “He’s ruining his legacy.”
In 2023, McKnight has two families and two juniors within the fold. The first is Brian Kelly McKnight Jr., the offspring from his relationship with his college sweetheart, Julie McKnight.
After divorcing Julie in 2003, McKnight married his current spouse, Dr. Leilani Malia Mendoza in 2017. As a testament of his new love and devotion to her, he took on her family’s name, legally changing his to Brian Kainoa Makoa McKnight, to match the name of their youngest son.
“So proud to introduce our son BRIAN KAINOA MAKOA JR. to the world with the release of my new album lovingly created for him. JR. because I am also proud to officially announce that I have legally changed my name to exactly match my legacy’s,” he wrote after his birth in October 2023.
He closed, “My legal name is now BRIAN KAINOA MAKOA MCKNIGHT SR.”
Just like many disliked his comments about his children being born of sin, people also are not too thrilled about him changing his name and believe that race plays a major role in why he is clinging so tightly to his new family.
“Yall thought I WAS PETTY, Brian McKnight takes the CROWN,” the person wrote.
The person went on to say, “He went and married a non-black wife who already had non-black children before meeting him and has been claiming her kids as his own until she gave birth to their son.”
