It's been a rough couple of weeks for Grammy-winning musician Brian McKnight. It all began when social media users discovered a post from McKnight wishing his adoptive daughter a happy birthday. This reignited a dormant debate about whether McKnight had abandoned his biological children in favor of his new family.
McKnight then settled a lawsuit filed by his daughter Briana which accused the singer of making slanderous comments online about her. In response to all the negativity, McKnight posted pictures of his biological children as a way of "proving" that he hadn't forgotten about or neglected them. However, the backlash has only continued to grow.
McKnight Defends Against Allegations While His Ex-Wife Throws Shade
First came a video from McKnight's ex-wife, Julie. In the short video posted to Instagram, Julie McKnight thanked the family's supporters and spoke about the importance of loving your family. The video was met with overwhelming support, with a lot of fans appearing to take Julie's side. These included comments from some of her children, including Brian McKnight Jr. Apparently, McKnight didn't take too kindly to this, as he soon uploaded a video of his own, refuting claims that he abandoned his family. The caption read, “To whom it may concern: NO ABANDONMENT, NO MADE UP STORY, NO FALSE STATEMENTS, NO DEFAMATION".
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“I never abandoned anyone,” he said in the video. “Our estrangement was mutual. But those posts made any roads towards reconciliation and acknowledging them a dead issue. And I changed my will the next day. I’ve spent the last 30-plus years building a recognized, respectable name. And ironically, there are still people out there who are trying to smear my name while still carrying it, hoping to use it for their own benefit. I make absolutely no apologies for naming my infant son Brian. I want him and the world to know that he is the one who is my true legacy. So I’ll be over here continuing to love and protect my wife, and our children, as we continue to love our life.” McKnight also alluded to a longer video on the issue coming to his YouTube in the near future.
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