Brian McKnight, 53, has broken his silence about the backlash he’s been receiving online. The singer and songwriter found himself trending online and being called out for not acknowledging his biological kids from previous relationships while lauding his stepchildren. He has four kids of his own, which include Brian Jr., Briana, Nikko, and Clyde.
McKnight responded to the backlash with an Instagram post with dated pictures of his kids, shared by both he and wife Leilani Malia Mendoza, and a caption.
“Not sure how these posts that have been sitting here this whole time were left out of the false narrative that is trending. Abandonment? There’s always more to every story. Stay tuned,” he wrote in an Instagram caption.
This didn’t make the situation any better for the artist as social media users called attention to how old the images are.
McKnight hasn’t been on good terms with his kids for some years now, although he denies that they are estranged. His focus based on his Instagram posts has been on his stepchildren Julia, Jack, and Kekoa Matteo, as well as his newborn son Brian Kainoa Makoa. He shares those kids with Leilani.
The star’s elder children, Brian Jr. and Briana, have publicly shared their disappointment with their father’s behavior. Briana took her father to court for defamation of character, according to court records obtained by RadarOnline.com. McKnight accused his daughter of sleeping with a cousin as a minor following a post on social media that outed him for being absent. The case was settled before the father and daughter went to trial.
This won’t be the first time McKnight has received backlash about this matter or responded with a “tell all.” He had a similar response in 2019 and blamed the distance between them on his kids, accusing them of being entitled and ungrateful.
We will be staying tuned to hear what he has to say this time around.