(Photo by Chris Polk/FilmMagic) (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for NBCUniversal)
Nikolas McKnight is not here for Tyrese Gibson weighing in on his and Brian McKnight‘s fractured father-son relationship. The second eldest McKnight spoke out after Gibson critiqued Rickey Smiley‘s efforts to connect with Brian’s “disowned” children.
Niko started his clapback on Instagram Story by blasting Tyrese’s alleged past living situation. He claimed that when he was a kid, Gibson used to “sleep under [their] pool table.”
Then, he went in on Tyrese defending his father while having estranged relationships with those in his life.
“I know the 90s R&N brotherhood is thicker than anything, but you should sit this one out, champ. You have relationships to fix with your own children and your past decisions you’ve made on behalf of p***y and power. The allegiance in those two things is what keeps you guys from seeing that the only thing that matters in the end is family. Real men can see past the bullsh*t.”
Niko also revealed that he was typing that message while on a “46-hour chemo infusion,” adding that the medicine had him ready to “fade Jody.”
Tyrese seemingly has yet to respond to the drag.
See his entire clapback below.
For context, before his marriage to Leilani, Brian McKnight welcomed four kids — Brian Jr., Nikolas, Briana, and Clyde—with three women. In recent years, the singer has publicly distanced himself from the first three, calling their beef “mutual.”
Meanwhile, he has publicly claimed Leilani’s biological children, Julia and Jack, as his own. When he and his wife welcomed a son last year, Brian went the extra mile and legally changed his name to match the infant’s — negating his eldest Jr.’s name.
Most recently, Brian McKnight seemingly referred to his biological kids as “evil” and “negativity” that he needed to rid his life of. Those comments are what prompted Rickey Smiley to extend his support. Note that Rickey’s son passed away in Jan. 2023, per USA Today.
In a video posted to social media, Rickey explained that he felt “stunned and horrified” over Brian’s treatment of his biological children. He reassured the adults that they were “not thrown away” or “garbage.” In his words, they are “loved” and should be “respected.”
“…If anyone gets this message out to Brian McKnight’s two sons and daughter: you are always welcome to the state of Alabama… where you have men and you have uncles and you have a lot of people that… take on kids that have been abandoned by fathers,” he said.
But Tyrese seemingly missed the heart in the message and instead took the time to address Rickey on Instagram for chiming in.
Despite admitting that he’s never spoken to Brian McKnight about the strained father-child relationships, he felt it wasn’t Smiley’s place to comment.
Swipe below to see his entire message.
This isn’t Nikolas McKnight’s first time opening up publicly about the situation with his dad. In April, Niko and his mother, Julie, clapped back at Brian, calling his biological kids “evil.”
