Musician Brian McKnight, wife Julie McKnight, and sons Brian McKnight, Jr. and Nikko McKnight attend the 27th Annual American Music Awards on January 17, 2000 at Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
Roommates, it looks like Brian McKnight is continuing to throw shade toward his biological children. But his ex-wife, Julie McKnight, isn’t letting his latest comments slide! Julie took to Instagram with a graceful clapback for her sons’ father after he called them “product of sin.”
As previously reported, about a week ago, Brian shared two video responses to Instagram users asking about his biological children.
He and Julie McKnight share two sons, Brian Jr. and Niko during their 13-year marriage between 1990 and 2003. They were reportedly college sweethearts. Brian McKnight also has a biological daughter named Briana with Patricia Driver and a son named Clyde with a woman unknown to the public.
After marrying Leilani in 2017, the singer embraced her biological children, Juila and Jack, as his own. They welcomed their second son together, Brian Kainoa Makoa McKnight Jr, in January 2023 following the death of their first son, Kekoa Matteo.
About a week ago, the love song hitmaker responded to a comment that criticized his public handling of his children. User @pac1913 left a comment on a video of Brian denying Briana as his biological child and claiming Julia as his own.
After quoting a Bible verse — like Brian did — the user said, “Your children are a reflection of the work & prayers & spirituality & moral compass that PARENTS POUR INTO KIDS. You disowned kids that you created & you are also against God but judgment day is between you & your maker so #carryon.”
Brian left a four-part response explaining his involvement in his biological kids’ lives.
“@pac1913 1. God wasn’t talking about children that are the product of sin which these are. 2. I didn’t raise them their mothers did. 3. Know the whole story before quoting the Bible. 4. Take your inaccurate negativity off of my page and try being happy.”
As mentioned, this is apparently the third shady comment Brian has thrown his biological kid’s way this week. In addition to disowning Briana, Brian seemed to refer to his children as “evil and negativity.” That happened while he explained that it’s necessary to get rid of both to be happy, “even if that evil and negativity is related” to him.
Julie must’ve caught wind of Brian’s latest comments about the children he fathered! Sis seemingly read him with grace in a powerful video statement shared on Friday (April 19).
Julie said she strives to live within a space of positivity on a daily basis. She acknowledged all that she has to be thankful and grateful for. She also claimed that sometimes the Devil tries to disturb people amid “bountiful” blessings, but she won’t let it!
She alluded to people doing certain things for attention but didn’t name-drop Brian.
“The point 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 anymore energy to it, is to only keep you down to where they thought they had you because they were the author of an extremely abusive situation emotionally, mentally. And they’re no good at not being the center of attention anymore. So when everybody pulls that away, it’s like a kid without candy who throws a tantrum…”
Julie McKnight added that she loves her sons Brian Jr. and Niko and that she’s “so proud” to have raised them “predominantly alone” with the help of her friends, family, and community.
See what else Julie McKnight said and Brian’s response to the comment below.
Brian has been going viral for publicly disowning his children since last year. In October, he caught heat after legally changing his name to match his infant’s, meaning his eldest son, Brian Jr., no longer has a senior to his name.
