Brian McKnight’s estranged family’s grief has now morphed into public accusations after his son, Brian McKnight Jr. told Marc Lamont Hill that the R&B star refused to say “I love you” to his dying brother Niko. 

In the interview, McKnight Jr. called the exchange “one of the darkest and coldest and most disheartening memories of my life,” and said Niko, who died in May after a two-year battle with cancer, pleaded for his father’s love.

“All my brother wanted, needed, asked for was my father to tell him he loves him,” McKnight Jr. said. He claims Brian Sr. responded to Niko, “I can’t arbitrarily say that I love you.” The allegation landed hard on social media, where fans and observers expressed outrage and disbelief. 

The interview also surfaced a pattern of public estrangement. Complex noted McKnight has been widely estranged from his first four children for many years, and that earlier this year, he drew backlash after calling his biological children “products of sin” in an Instagram post. McKnight Jr. criticized his father for posting about a personal legal victory on Niko’s birthday, calling the timing hurtful and tone-deaf.

In October 2023, McKnight legally changed his name to Brian Kainoa Makoa McKnight Sr. to ensure he's a senior to his new son, Brian Kainoa Makoa Jr., with wife Leilani Malia Mendoza. McKnight was obviously already a senior to McKnight Jr. 

This explosive interview is the result of a public spat between McKnight and Hill. Earlier this week, McKnight addressed alleged comments from Hill on Anton Daniels’ podcast and said, “I would destroy that dude. Not physically. You don’t even know me, but you called me an a**hole?” 

Hill fired back on “The Joe Budden Podcast,” and said, “I don’t remember us saying nothing that crazy about him. I don’t remember calling him an a**hole, but he is an a**hole. Let me be clear: Brian McKnight, you are an a**hole.” 

Hill said his characterization came from “having interviewed Brian McKnight lots of times,” and added, “You were rude and nasty to everybody on my crew and my team.” Within Hill’s retort to McKnight, he also claimed that he’s been in touch with McKnight’s estranged family and warned that the singer didn’t want Hill to share the information he’d been told.

Shortly after Hill’s heated response on “The Joe Budden Podcast,” he posted the exclusive interview with McKnight’s family on social media, which premiered on his Patreon.