Brian McKnight is trending online today after he reportedly won an $8.8 million defamation lawsuit.
The singer has faced backlash online after he publicly denounced some of his older children, seemingly referring to them as a “product of sin.”
He then claimed his non-biological daughter with his partner, Leilani Mendoza, and their son together. After fans called for a boycott against the star and his music, his son Niko passed away following a cancer battle. Niko, one of the children he shares with ex-wife Julie McKnight, appears to be the defendant in his defamation lawsuit.
Brian McKnight celebrates $8.8 million court victory after judge rules in his favor against ex wife Julie, ending a long legal battle over finances and defamation claims.
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) October 17, 2025
“It’s been a long journey getting to this day: October 16th, 2025. But we are here in the English countryside about an hour and a half outside of London. And the verdict is in. We’ve been quiet, listening to liars continue to lie and keeping to ourselves, living and loving our life,” he says with a huge grin.
McKnight continued, “As we said, leaving everything in God’s hands and letting our lawyer do the talking. But according to the courts, trying to ruin my name and trying to bring harm to my family in a book filled with lies equals $8.8 million dollars. And this is just the beginning. Because anyone and everyone that helped promote these lies will hear from my lawyer in the days to come. No weapon formed against us shall prosper. Now from my voicemail is the voice of a liar.”
In June, after Niko’s death, McKnight hopped online to slam his brother Claude McKnight, and his ex-wife about announcing Niko’s death on social media.
“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. It has instead, turned into a circus. A mockery of a life now lost, making this tragedy into a reality show-type drama,” Brian says in the clip.
In his recent video, McKnight also shared an audio recording of Julie (allegedly), warning him to stay away from Niko, a response to allegations that he abandoned his son during his cancer battle.
This is Brian McKnight just two weeks ago while his estranged son Niko McKnight was dying of cancer. pic.twitter.com/Zp4TYCxYe8
— MusicMakesMe (@JenJen2182) May 30, 2025
This is VERY nasty work.
My goodness what in the blasphemous bad father hell? pic.twitter.com/ThiV3jcoi0— Dr. Mel (@LisKis93) April 17, 2024