Brian McKnight is denying widespread speculation that he’s a deadbeat father, and faults his ex-wife, Julie, for intervening when it came to their son, Niko’s health issues.
During the singer’s weekly Instagram Q&A, he spoke on how he and his wife, Leilani, “jumped into action” after discovering that Niko was battling cancer.
“Six months ago, we found out about [Niko’s cancer],” said McKnight. “We called him. We talked to him, we talked to his wife. 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 54-year-old stated that he requested Niko’s medical reports and “hand-delivered them to the best specialist in the country” who outlined a course of action to give Niko the “best fighting chance.”
McKnight claimed he and his wife “miraculously found a treatment facility near our home that put him at the top of the list and then we put down a deposit to secure that place.” He expressed how he was reportedly making arrangements to get Niko there until an alleged “very hostile” phone call from Julie thwarted his plans.
The “Back At One” singer said that Julie told him “do not contact [Niko]. He does not need your help.”
To which McKnight responded, “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. So what are we doing? We’re adhering to her wishes because that’s what she wanted and we’re staying out of it.” He concluded by sharing that he is “praying” for Niko.
However, Julie told Page Six, “This is, once again, a response to bait myself & my family into his false narrative. He is a liar.” Niko also loosely addressed his estranged father‘s video on his Instagram stories.
He wrote, “So grateful to be at a place where I can honestly say I’m happy. So many things are trying to make me spiral but I’m not going to. There’s too much to be happy about. My health is getting better. I’m gaining weight […] Everything is going to be okay.” Niko later stated, “I love my family. I love my Mom. I love my Brother and Sisters. I love my Wife. I love my life. I couldn’t stand up on my own 6 months ago. God is good!”
This ordeal comes not long after McKnight called his eldest children “a product of sin.”
In response, Julie compared her ex-husband to a child throwing a temper tantrum as Niko revealed on Twitter that he attempted to “bury the hatchet” with his father while on his deathbed, but McKnight “told me he couldn’t arbitrarily tell me he loves me.” He expressed how he missed his dad and called him Superman.
The singer and Julie divorced in 2003 after 13 years of marriage. He wed Leilani Mendoza in December 2017 and they welcomed their son, Brian Jr., in January 2023. McKnight only claims Mendoza’s oldest children and their son as his own.