Last week, Brian McKnight's brother Claude too to social media to deliver a heartbreaking update on his nephew, Niko McKnight. He revealed that he passed away following a two-year battle with cancer, sharing an emotional message about the tremendous loss.
“This morning, I found out my nephew, Niko McKnight, has passed away. He’d been bravely battling cancer for the last two years or so, and I have a lot of feelings right now. It really sucks that he’s no longer with us," he began.
“I don’t know exactly what was going on there. I know what I’ve seen, I know what I’ve heard from all parties involved… And I try not to judge," Claude continued. "I just try to be as loving to each person as I can be, because apparently there was so much hurt going on and a lot of things didn’t get resolved.”
Read More: Brian McKnight Has Allegedly Made No Effort To Contact His Family After His Son Niko's Death
How Many Kids Does Brian McKnight Have?
McKnight was estranged from Niko in the years leading up to his passing, as he is from the rest of his eldest children. He has seven other kids in total, including two stepchildren with his wife Leilani.
In a lengthy message shared on Instagram yesterday (June 3), the performer made it clear that he didn't appreciate his brother's announcement, accusing him of using Niko's tragic death as an opportunity.
"A big big thanks to Claude Mcknight’s tasteless and self aggrandizing announcement on TikTok, that frankly was not his to make," he wrote in part, as captured by The Shade Room. "In my opinion, he inserted himself and used Niko’s death as an opportunity, instead of letting him pass with respect and dignity. It has instead turned into a circus, a mockery of a life now lost, making this tragedy into a reality show type drama."
At the time of writing, Claude McKnight has yet to respond to his brother's accusations.
