Brian McKnight constantly sparks outrage online for repeatedly denouncing his older adult children from his past marriages and only claiming the children he chose to raise with his current wife, Lelani Mendoza.
He called his first four children, who were all born to Black woman, “products of sin” and not blessings from God and even called his firstborn daughter, Briana, “illegitimate.” Fans called him “toxic” and “childish,” but his most recent statements about his son Niko battling cancer have many saying he’s gone too far.
In yet another live session titled “WeeklyReplies” on Instagram, McKnight responded to a fan comment suggesting he write an uplifting song about Niko’s current battle.
“Considering my wife and I and Niko’s wife Carla have been the only ones who have been making sure he is getting the proper care he needs from the moment we found out, maybe you should get your facts straight,” McKnight said. “But I’m sure he appreciates you [IG username] being the very first person to put his personal health struggle out there in public for the world to see. Proud of yourself?”
He further explained that he only recently found out about his son Niko’s cancer diagnosis.
“Six months ago, we found out about this. We called him. We talked to him, we talked to his wife,” he said on Wednesday, April 24. “She told us that she was all alone and handling everything all by herself and it became quickly evident to us that since they didn’t have insurance and they didn’t have access to the proper doctors, naturally, and even though all this nonsense has been going on for years, we jumped into action.”
The “Back at One” singer claims he and his wife were in the middle of arranging for Niko’s wife to fly to their home “privately so that she could be with him and not even work and really just focus on his treatment.” That all ended after McKnight received a call from Niko’s mother.
“In the midst of that, we received a very hostile phone call from his mother saying, ‘Do not contact him. He does not need your help,’” he concluded before sharing that he and his wife are “praying” for Niko.
Julie, who was married to McKnight from 1990 to 2003, initally responded to his remarks about their kids being evil, noting that this is why she and her children have pulled back from communicating with the singer, who has been referred to as a deadbeat dad.
“I can only imagine that if that help came from me, that it would go against the strong narrative that’s being pushed out there about me,” McKnight continued. “So what are we doing? We’re adhering to her wishes because that’s what she wanted, and we’re staying out of it.”
#picstitch what it's all about!!!!! pic.twitter.com/bgWIepkunz
— Brian McKnight (@ItsBMcKnight) June 16, 2013
Niko also shared a message on his IG Story, also on April 24, stating that his health is getting better after not being able to walk on his own six months ago. “I’m gaining weight. I’m going to Tulum tomorrow with my wife. Everything is going to be okay,” he wrote.
Still, fans are holding his dad accountable, saying that if McKnight truly wanted to help his child he would have.
“Can’t nobody stop me from doing for my kids besides me. Period,” wrote one person, while another said, “Isn’t Niko a grown man with a wife, but you want us to believe because his mommy said no, you stopped taking care of him?”
A third added, “I’m not surprised you listened to your ex wife.. you don’t even claim Niko or his sibling’s… If you wanted to step up and give him the best fighting chance, you would of. Period!!!!”
McKnight and Julie also share another son, Brian McKnight Jr. During their marriage, he also fathered another child, Briana McKnight, with a woman named Patricia Driver and a son named Clyde with an unknown woman.
Since marrying his wife, Lelani in 2017, he has claimed that her two children, Jack and Julie McPhee, are his only kids. The couple welcomed their first child together in January 2023, a baby boy also named, Brian McKnight Jr. The “Anytime” singer changed his name to Brian Kainoa Makoa McKnight Sr. to exactly match his newborn at the time.
However, some fans believe McKnight is causing more damage to himself by constantly discussing or speaking about the very children he chooses not to claim. One said, “Please stop discussing your children your not winning any points this is just all sad.”
