Brian McKnight Jr. Accuses Father of withholding 'I Love You' from Son Niko During Cancer Fight

Brian McKnight Jr. has alleged that his estranged father, singer Brian McKnight Sr., declined to tell his son Niko that he loved him during the two years Niko battled colon cancer before his passing in May.

In an exclusive Patreon interview with Marc Lamont Hill, McKnight Jr. and his mother, Julie McKnight, reflected on Nikos tense relationship with the performer. They said that throughout his illness, Niko wanted only one thing from his father to hear him say, I love you.

One of the darkest memories of my life is Niko calling me in tears, staring death in the face, telling me I was right about not calling our father because he knew what the response would be, McKnight Jr. recalled. He added, All my brother wanted was for our father to tell him he loved him. My father told him he couldnt arbitrarily say that. And this was the man who claimed he wanted to help?

Julie Addresses the Voicemail Featured in McKnight Sr.s Video

The conversation turned to the voicemail that appeared in a video posted by McKnight Sr. in October, in which he celebrated winning an $8.8 million defamation case against Julie a ruling delivered on what would have been Nikos birthday. The voicemail captured Julie telling him and his new wife, Leilani Malia Mendoza, not to contact Niko again.

Julie explained the context behind that message: People heard the voicemail, but they dont know I was standing next to my son, on speakerphone with his wife, listening to how his father spoke down to him. The first thing he said was, I dont appreciate how youre treating my new family. Who cares about that in that moment?

McKnight Sr.s Account of the Situation

The interview followed McKnight Sr.s own conversation with Anton Daniels, during which he discussed his past with Julie and their sons. He claimed Julie had turned the children against him and insisted he had arranged resources for Nikos treatment resources he said were refused.

He stated that by the time he learned of Nikos diagnosis, the cancer had already progressed to Stage 4. According to him, months passed before he was informed, and he said the delay limited available treatment options.

Tensions Between McKnight Sr. and Marc Lamont Hill

As the familys disputes continued to unfold publicly, McKnight Sr. and Hill also exchanged criticism after Hill referred to the singer as an a**hole during a podcast appearance. Hill later explained his comments by referencing past negative interactions with the musician during interviews.

Author: Noah Whitman