Brian McKnight Reacts to Estranged Son’s Death at 32, Criticizes Family Member

Brian McKnight has broken his silence days after his estranged son Niko McKnight’s tragic death at age 32.

Last Thursday, Brian’s brother Claude McKnight publicly confirmed via social media that Niko had died on May 29 following a two-year cancer battle.

While speaking of his late nephew, Claude asked that fans refrain from discussing Niko’s relationship with his dad Brian or any ‘family drama.’

But in a statement published to Instagram on Tuesday, Brian lashed out at Claude’s ‘tasteless’ announcement as he addressed Niko’s death for the first time.

He accused Claude of making a ‘mockery’ of Niko’s passing by speaking out.

‘A big big thanks to Claude Mcknight’s tasteless and self aggrandizing announcement on TikTok, that frankly was not his to make, in my opinion, he inserted himself and used Niko’s death as an opportunity, instead of letting him pass with respect and dignity,’ Brian began.

‘It has instead turned into a circus, a mockery of a life now lost, making this tragedy into a reality show type drama.’

DailyMail.com has reached out to Claude for comment. 

He continued: ‘While that was unfolding my family and I flew home to Maui and had a private memorial remembering him, and all the good times.’ 

Brian, who limited comments on Tuesday’s Instagram post, went on to make claims about ways he allegedly tried to help his estranged son during his cancer battle.

‘The last time he and I spoke, we offered him all the help we could provide, we had the number one oncologist on deck for him and a team of specialists on standby with private care in our home.

‘He and his mother declined. The door of communication was open and remained open until his death,’ he alleged.

Brian then took aim at his ex-wife Julie McKnight, who is Niko’s mother.

‘To the self proclaimed “mama bear” may God have mercy on your soul for not allowing him to accept that help and not allowing him to use that line of communication.’

Despite being his years-long estrangement with Niko, Brian said his conscience is ‘clear’ and that ‘God knows the TRUTH.’

‘There is great comfort in knowing God knows the TRUTH and the totality of the WHOLE story. I am truly thankful for the immense peace God has given me. I’ve left everything in HIS hands. I, have a clear conscience. The only judgement that matters is God’s.,’ he wrote.

‘My wife, our children and I are eternally thankful to Almighty God that the suffering has come to an end and grateful for all of your condolences.

‘Thanks to those of you have known The truth from the beginning and haven’t let untruths, half truths or slander , prejudice your opinion.’

He concluded the post with a Bible verse. ‘2 Corinthians 1:3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.’

Brian also read his statement aloud in a corresponding Instagram video.

The video featured video and photos that seemingly captured the area surrounding Brian’s Maui home. One image showed a bottle of Hennessy in the sand. 

Claude confirmed his nephew Niko’s death in a TikTok video posted on Thursday, May 29.

Five months prior to his death, Niko had revealed that he was fighting stage 4 colon cancer.

Claude talked about his nephew, and also asked fans in the caption to not discuss Niko’s relationship with his dad Brian or any ‘family drama.’

‘He’s been bravely battling cancer for the last two years or so and have a lot of feelings right now…’ his uncle said in the TikTok video. ‘Niko was one of those amazing kids who was quirky and curious and ridiculously talented.’

‘Amazing singer and amazing guitar player. Had a great eye as a photographer and just one of those kids that at least in my estimation of somebody you always wanted to be around, and so it really sucks that he’s no longer with us,’ he added.

Last year, Brian called his biological children ‘evil’ and ‘products of sin’ – which led to massive public backlash.

At the time of Brian’s public statement about disowning his four eldest children – Brian Jr., Niko, Briana, and Clyde – Niko took to his X account, formerly Twitter, to speak more on the family drama, saying that all he wanted was to hear his father say he loved him while he was dying in the hospital from cancer complications.

Claude, who said he was contemplating about posting all day about the tragic loss of his nephew, said in his TikTok video: ‘As the day wore on I realized, how could I not post about this? This morning I found out that my nephew Niko McNight passed away.’

He addressed the family drama in the video: ‘So here’s the thing. 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. I just try to be as loving to each person as I can be because apparently there’s so much hurt going on – or was so much hurt going on that a lot of things didn’t get resolved.’

He said that Niko had ‘a lot eating at him for a long long long time.’

‘I may have contributed to what happened with him. What I do know is he’s out of pain now. So I can rejoice in the fact that he no longer has to go through chemo and the radiation and everything else. I just want to uplift that young man and say we will see him again one day. I love you Niko.’

Claude captioned the video with: ‘I’m devastated at my nephew’s 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.’

Niko’s mother Julie shared a statement via her Instagram page on Friday announcing his passing, adding a sweet snap with him and her other son Brian McKnight Jr.

‘It is with profound sadness that Julie mcKnight and family announce the passing of her beloved son Cole Nikolas McKnight, affectionately known as ‘Niko.’ on Thursday, May 29, 2025. Nikolas was a cherished husband, son, brother, grandson, uncle and nephew whose warmth, laughter, and love touched the lives of all who knew him. Nikolas was a self taught artist of music and photography. His passing is an immeasurable loss to his family and all those who held him dear.’

‘Julie McKnight has asked for privacy and continued prayers as the family navigates this incredibly difficult time. Mama Bear and the entire family appreciate the outpouring of love and support from friends, fans and the public.’

His brother Brian Jr. shared a photo with his children and Niko on his Instagram stories on Friday.

Niko revealed his cancer diagnosis on January 16, 2024 via his Instagram.

He shared an image from a hospital bed in the post from last year, writing: ‘Everyone’s been asking – here we go. Your boy got the big C – it’s beeen one hell of a ride so far but things are looking better now than they were before so cheers to that.’

‘Shout out to everyone in my corner and a super shoutout to my wife @phoenixelbow for saving my life (that’s a story for another day) let’s keep this momentum going and keep one prayer in the chamber for me yall. S***ts gonna get better, I know it. Also don’t treat me different. I need looooove at all times,’ he wrote.

In December, Niko gave an update on his cancer battle, sharing a candid note to his Instagram page.

‘For the past 2-3 months, I’ve been feeling the best I’ve felt since coming home from the hospital last year. Finally feeling like I have somewhat of a grasp on my life. Am I anxious? Well, yeah sure. I don’t think that’s ever going away. But I’m finally sleeping a full night again. I’m eating without PTSD. It’s amazing. I didn’t eat a single thing for 3 months straight. Surviving on TPN (Total Parenteral Nutrition) for that long does something to you. But now I feel like I can see the light from the other side of the woods. Not out of them yet. But it’s looking pretty good so far,’ he wrote, sharing a series of images from the past few months.

Niko’s death comes 13 months after family drama was aired out – due to Brian calling his children ‘evil.’

In April 2024, Brian faced public backlash online after referring to his biological children as ‘evil’ and ‘products of sin’ before Niko and Julie weighed in.

The R&B singer had addressed a fan who supported his choice to publicly disown his four eldest kids — Brian Jr., Niko, Briana, and Clyde — citing concerns about the presence of ‘pure evil’ among some relatives during a recent Instagram Q&A.

McKnight expressed his appreciation for the fan’s comment, saying, ‘I wanna big up my man right here. He gets it.’

One fan wrote in the comments: ‘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].’

After another fan claimed the singer was ‘going against God,’ McKnight replied, ‘God wasn’t talking about children that are the product of sin which these are.’

Fans were quick to slam the Grammy-nominated artist, with one posting, ‘This is VERY nasty work. My goodness what in the blasphemous bad father hell?’

Another chimed in, ‘Every time Brian McKnight starts trending I want to cry because I used to LOVE this man’s music. But SMH I can’t support it anymore.

‘Not everyone is born of married parents, but did he have to call these children ‘product of sin?’ Sincerely, Apparently a product of sin.’

Niko and Niko’s mom – Brian’s ex-wife Julie McKnight – fired back at Brian soon after.

‘I’m evil. That’s wild: The guy who used to make me clean his used condoms out his bathroom at 15 before Lisa got home is calling me evil Fashoooooo,’ Niko posted on the Shaderoom, according to an article by Page Six.

He added in a separate comment: ‘The guy who forged [signatures] on our names is evil fashoooooooo.’

At the time, Niko had taken to X, formerly known as Twitter and admitted that he and siblings Brian Jr, Briana and Clyde were ‘bad children’, but insisted his sisters ‘deserve better’.

‘They don’t deserve this outright disrespect. Hate us all day. You don’t get to be a piece of s*** forever and still skate by with all that we know,’ Niko posted.

‘We saved that man from federal prison. That’s all I’m going to say. But after all of this, I still love him so much because I know there’s my dad in there somewhere. But he’s a drone now. So f***ing sad. Miss you, Dad,’ added Niko at the time.

He also acknowledged in another X post that he was ‘spoiled beyond belief’, but was working to ‘correct’ his shortcomings.

Niko shared his dying wish on X in April 2024, hoping that his father would tell him he loves him – which he said he refused to do.

At the time, he said he was in the hospital due to complications from his cancer, and was on his deathbed – with his last wish being to bury the hatchet with his father and to hear he loves him.

‘When I was about to die in the hospital from complications from my cancer, I just wanted to bury the hatchet and hear him say he loves me and he told me he couldn’t arbitrarily tell me he loves me. Still cuts so deep,’ Niko wrote.

The next day, Niko wrote: ‘Sometimes, I wonder if my dad’s karma is my close proximity to death. Like maybe if I end up dying, it’ll release him from this grip of evil.’

Julie also challenged Brian and said she was proud of their two sons.

‘The point at the end of every negative situation, whether it’s an illness whether it’s a fool that you have to deal with because they keep entering your life when you are no longer giving any more energy to it, it’s to only keep you down to where they thought they had you because they were the author of an extremely abusive situation emotionally, mentally,’ she posted on Instagram.

‘And they’re no good at not being the center of that attention anymore. So when everybody pulls that away, it’s like a kid who throws a tantrum,’ Julie added.

Six months later, Niko wrote: ‘Everyday, I feel so embarrassed by how things went with our Dad. When you’re faced with a situation like mine, it quickly shows you what really matters. And family matters the most. I miss my family so much. Everyone.’

When the singer married his current wife, Leilani McKnight, in 2017, he became stepfather to Julia and Jack McPhee.

Their first son together, Brian Kainoa Makoa Jr., was born in 2022.

Towards the end of 2023, McKnight celebrated the achievement of his stepdaughter, Julia, who obtained her master’s degree, sparking renewed discussions about his relationship with his biological children via an Instagram post.

In response, McKnight posted a Weekly Replies video on Instagram, where he referred to Julia as ‘my sole daughter.’

The family feud hit a high note in October 2023 when McKnight was slammed for changing his name to become a senior to his newborn son Brian Kainoa Makoa Jr. — although he was already a senior to his eldest son, Brian Jr.

The hitmaker made the announcement in an Instagram post that doubled as an album promo, which may have also rubbed some fans the wrong way.

He included a sepia-toned photo of little Brian Jr., and shared the album’s title, McKnighttime Lullabies: An Album For My Son.

‘So proud to introduce our son… BRIAN KAINOA MAKOA JR. … to the world with the release of my new album lovingly created for him,’ he wrote.

McKnight added that his son had the suffix ‘JR. because I am also proud to officially announce that I have legally changed my name to exactly match my legacy’s.’

‘My legal name is now… BRIAN KAINOA MAKOA MCKNIGHT SR.,’ he shared, before informing his fans that his album was available now.

‘MCKNIGHTtime LULLABIES’ the songs of a father to his namesake available now!’

He included several hashtags, including ‘iloveourlife,’ ‘babybrian,’ ‘mylegacy,’ ‘junior’ and ‘familyfirst.’

The announcement was met with condemnation from several commenters, leading McKnight to eventually limited comments on the post.

‘Family first huh?’ wrote one disapproving person, while others called it ‘petty’ and ‘a disgusting move.’

A more measured commenter wished him congratulations, but made it clear that they though he was in the wrong.

‘I pray for the peace & healing of your family. Changing your name doesn’t or can’t erase what already is,’ they wrote.

One blunt comment urged him to ‘grow some balls and reconcile with your first-born children.’

Another person simply made it clear that they were no longer a fan.

But some people responding to the post were fully in McKnight’s camp and didn’t find his name change unusual or disturbing at all.

‘I love watching you grow to be a better person,’ wrote one fan. This whole series of you starting over is such a blessing. Congratulations on your new ‘restart’ legacy of life.’

Another suggested it wasn’t worth the effort to keep his relations strong with his older children.

‘Sometimes a man gets tired of fighting. Men just want peace! Leave this man alone!’ they wrote defensively.

McKnight’s older son also weighed in via his Instagram Stories at the time in response to a fan who suggested he should change his own name to cut off any connection to his father, according to Page Six.

‘I’m not ashamed of the name my ancestors had. I’ll never change the name my own son now has,’ McKnight Jr. wrote. ‘We are witnessing an obscene level of self hate, that has reached mental illness status at this point.

‘All we can do is pray for that man, and my new little brother who we will all welcome with open arms one day, once he realizes who his real family is,’ he continued.

‘Legacy isn’t in the name. It’s in the character of the people. It will all be quite clear soon, just who’s on the right side of all this, because there’s no escaping what’s coming.’

Brian shared the original Brian Jr. and Niko from his first marriage to Julie McKnight, which ended in divorce in 2003.

He also has a daughter Briana and son Clyde from previous relationships, and he became the stepfather to his wife Leilani’s son Jack and daughter Julia.

However, the performer seemed to indicate that he doesn’t consider his older children part of his family anymore.

His Instagram bio lists him as the father to ‘Julia, Jack, Kekoa Matteo and Brian Kainoa Makoa.’

Kekoa was the intended name for a child that McKnight and Leilani lost to a miscarriage in 2022.

As of May 30, Brian’s Instagram bio still says he is dad to ‘Julia, Jack, Kekoa Matteo & Brian Kainoa Makoa McKnight Jr.’

Two weeks ago, a fan asked him how many sons he had, to which Brian answered three, listing them as Jack, Brian and Kekoa.