Brian McKnight Jr. Claims His Father Refused to Tell Estranged Son Niko He Loved Him Before Dying of Cancer
In a deeply emotional interview, Brian McKnight Jr. recounted the tragic final days of his brother, Niko McKnight, who lost his battle with cancer in May 2023. During a conversation with journalist Marc Lamont Hill, McKnight Jr. shared a heart-wrenching account of Niko’s desperate plea for affection from their estranged father, the renowned singer Brian McKnight. Niko, who was facing his mortality, reached out to his brother in tears, revealing the profound pain he felt over their father’s refusal to express love. McKnight Jr. described the moment as one of the darkest memories of his life, emphasizing that all Niko wanted was a simple acknowledgment of love from their father: “All my brother wanted, needed, asked for was my father to tell him he loves him,” McKnight Jr. lamented. Instead, Brian McKnight reportedly told Niko, “I can’t arbitrarily say that I love you,” leaving a void in their father-son relationship that would never be filled.
The family dynamics surrounding Brian McKnight have been fraught with tension, especially following Niko’s cancer diagnosis, which he publicly revealed in January 2024. As the situation unfolded, McKnight Jr. expressed frustration over his father’s lack of support, especially when Brian McKnight celebrated a legal victory against his ex-wife, Julie McKnight, on what would have been Niko’s birthday. This led to a public outcry from McKnight Jr., who criticized his father’s emotional unavailability and inability to cope with family tragedies. Brian McKnight has also made headlines for his controversial statements regarding his biological children, referring to them as “products of sin” and distancing himself from Brian McKnight Jr. and Niko in his social media bios. The rift within the family underscores a complicated legacy, marked by unresolved feelings and a desperate need for reconciliation, particularly in the wake of Niko’s untimely death at the age of 32.
As the McKnight family grapples with their collective grief and estrangement, the tragic story serves as a poignant reminder of the complexities of familial love and the importance of open communication. The pain of lost opportunities for connection is palpable, particularly in the wake of Niko’s passing. The ongoing fallout from these revelations raises significant questions about accountability, emotional support, and the profound impact of unresolved familial relationships. In a world where love and connection can sometimes feel out of reach, the McKnight family’s struggle highlights the necessity of healing and understanding, even amidst the deep-seated wounds of the past.
Brian McKnight Jr. claimed that his father, singer
Brian McKnight
, refused to tell his estranged son,
Niko McKnight,
that he loved him in his final days as he battled a cancer diagnosis.
McKnight Jr. sat down with Marc Lamont Hill earlier this week, where he recalled the heartbreaking conversation with Niko, who was distraught about his father’s lack of affection, before his passing in May.
“One of the darkest and coldest and most disheartening memories of my life is the day my brother [Niko] calls me sobbing — with all he’s going through — looking death in the eye, to tell me I’m right about telling him not to call my father because I knew what was going to happen,” he said.
McKnight Jr. continued: “Because I knew where my dad was, I told [Niko], ‘Dad is gone.’ All my brother wanted, needed, asked for was my father to tell him he loves him,” he added. “My father responds to my brother, ‘I can’t arbitrarily say that I love you.’ But this is the man that wanted to help him?”
In October 2023, the Grammy-nominated singer said he legally changed his name to Brian Kainoa Makoa McKnight Sr. to ensure he was the senior to his newborn with his wife Leilani Malia Mendoza.
Months later, in April 2024, he referred to his biological children as
“products of sin.”
“In order to live a life that you love, you have to get rid of the evil and the negativity — even if that evil and negativity is related [to you],” he wrote on Instagram.
In his current Instagram bio, McKnight refuses to recognize Brian McKnight Jr. and his late son, Niko McKnight, who passed away in May following a two-year battle with cancer. “Father of Julia, Jack, Kekoa Matteo & Brian Kainoa Makoa McKnight Jr.,” the
IG bio reads.
Niko McKnight revealed his cancer diagnosis publicly in January 2024. Niko’s uncle Claude announced that his nephew had
passed away at 32 years old
in a video posted to social media in May.
@claudemcknight
I’m devastated at my nephews passing. If you comment please do do in love, and NOT at what you may have heard about the relationship my brother had/has with his kids. Thank you 🙏🏾
#nephew
#cancersucks
#rip
#love
#family
♬ original sound – Claude Mcknight
McKnight Jr. slammed his father in October for celebrating winning a lawsuit against his ex-wife, Julie McKnight, which happened to also be Niko’s birthday.
“I’ve tried, man. I’ve tried really, really hard. To not touch on s–t. To let it go, to be the bigger person, to be mature,” McKnight Jr. said in an Instagram Story post, per
Complex
. “But the shit going on with my dad right now, man. If y’all aren’t seeing what’s happening. If y’all aren’t seeing the fact that this is just a very hurt, and a very emotionally unavailable and not intelligent person that has still not been able to handle the death of his own mother…to decide to make certain posts on my late brother’s birthday?”
In an Instagram Q&A in April,
McKnight explained
he attempted to get his son, Niko, the best specialists and medical care in the country, but stopped trying to help once his ex-wife, Julie, got involved and allegedly told him to stop.
“Six months ago, we found out about this [Niko’s diagnosis],” he said. “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, we jumped into action.”
The 56-year-old added: “So what are we doing? We’re adhering to her wishes because that’s what she wanted and we’re staying out of it.”
Watch the harrowing clip below:
One of the most painful moments in my interview with Brian McKnight Jr. and Julie McKnight was hearing them discuss the last moments between Brian Sr. and his now deceased son Niko. I pray that they all find the love, healing, understanding, and accountability that they need and…
pic.twitter.com/crOmlHFvDg
— Marc Lamont Hill (@marclamonthill)
December 3, 2025
