*Brian McKnight Jr. is speaking openly about the final days of his brother, Cole “Niko” McKnight, revealing that their father, Brian McKnight, declined to reassure his dying son that he loved him.
In a conversation with Marc Lamont Hill, Brian Jr. described the emotional toll of the family divide that has persisted for years. He recounted the moment Niko reached out to their father while facing the final stages of his cancer battle. He said, “One of the darkest and coldest and most disheartening memories of my life is the day my brother calls me sobbing.” Brian Jr. explained that Niko asked only for their father to say he loved him, adding that McKnight replied, “I can’t arbitrarily say that I love you.”
McKnight’s estrangement from the two children he shares with singer-songwriter Julie McKnight has long been public, and he had no contact with Niko as his health deteriorated. A source told Page Six, “He did not contact or see Niko.
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Julie McKnight announced Niko’s death on Instagram in May, honoring him after his two-year battle with cancer. She wrote, “Nikolas was a cherished husband, son, brother, grandson, uncle, and nephew whose warmth, laughter, and love touched the lives of all who knew him.” She also described his artistic passions and called his passing “an immeasurable loss to his family and all those who held him dear.”
Tension between McKnight and his older children has played out on social media, resurfacing with his past comments labeling them “entitled” and later calling them “products of sin.” Niko responded before his death, writing, “I’m evil. That’s wild,” and accusing his father of misconduct, including, “The guy who forged [signatures] on our names is evil fashoooooooo.”
In October, McKnight announced that he had secured an $8.8 million judgment against his former wife, claiming she had lied about him. He also posted a voicemail in which Julie urged him to stop attempting to reach Niko.
“Yes, people heard the voicemail, but they have no idea that as a mom standing in the room with my son on speaker with his wife, and hearing how belittling his father talked to him,” Juile explained during her conversation with Marc Lamont Hill, adding, “And the first comment out of his mouth was, I don’t appreciate the way you’re treating my new family. Who gives a damn man?”
McKnight was married to Julie from 1990 to 2003. Years later, he wed pediatric neurophysiologist Leilani Malia Mendoza in 2017. Mendoza has two children from an earlier relationship, and the couple welcomed a son, Brian Kainoa Makoa Jr., in 2022. McKnight went on to legally change his own name to Brian Kainoa Makoa McKnight Sr. to match his newborn’s.
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: Brian McKnight’s Bitter Post After Son Niko’s Death Sparks Controversy | WATCH
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