Legendary soul singer Gladys Knight has broken her silence after her son accused her husband of elder abuse amid concerns over her health and safety.
“I’m sorry that my health and performances have been misrepresented,” Knight said in a statement. “I want my fans and those concerned to rest assured I am doing very well for someone who has been on stage for three quarters of a century, hard to believe, right?”
She continued, “I’m healthy and happy and visiting friends and family these last few months. I’m excited to get back on the road with my sisters and on stage with ‘The Queens Tour’ – see you soon.”
Knight, 81, is married to 48-year-old William McDowell, who is 33 years her junior.
Speaking to The Shade Room in a recent interview, her son, Shanga Hankerson, expressed his concerns and thinks her much younger husband is taking advantage of her, also noting that he has filed a complaint with North Carolina’s Department of Human Services.
“I don’t want my mom out on tour on a tour bus wondering where she’s at,” he told the outlet. Hankerson says that he mother has been battling memory loss for years.