Nikolas “Niko” McKnight, the estranged son of R&B star Brian McKnight, reportedly has passed away, according to Brian’s older brother. He was 32.
On May 29, Claude McKnight shared the tragic news about Niko on TikTok. The exact date of the singer and guitarist’s death has not been confirmed.
“This morning I found out that my nephew, Niko McKnight, passed away. He’d been bravely battling cancer for the past two years or so,” said Claude in a video posted to the social media app.
The Take 6 member praised Niko by calling him “amazing” and “ridiculously talented,” and even complimented his nephew’s work as a musician and photographer.
“I know that kid had a lot inside, a lot eating at him for a long, long time. I may have contributed to what happened with him, what I do know is he’s out of pain now. So I can rejoice in the fact that he no longer has to go through the chemo and radiation and everything else. I just want to uplift that young man,” Claude concluded.
The Grammy Award winner chose not to go into detail about the “family drama” involving Niko and Brian. However, he did acknowledge that there’s “a lot of hurt” between the father and son did not get resolved.
“In any situation, there’s always three sides to a story. There’s my side, your side and the truth and the truth a lot of times is somewhere in between.”
Brian has four biological children but had been publicly feuding with his oldest kids, including Niko. In early 2024, he revealed that he had been diagnosed with cancer, and soon after he would document his journey through chemotherapy treatments and his ongoing battle with the disease on social media.
In April 2024, the “Back at One” hitmaker referred to his offspring as a “product of sin.” Niko fired back at his dad with troubling remarks about his childhood in a series of posts online.
“I’m evil. That’s wild: The guy who used to make me clean his used condoms out his bathroom at 15 before Lisa got home is calling me evil fashoooooo,” Niko stated.
“When I was about to die in the hospital from complications from my cancer, I just wanted to bury the hatchet and hear him say he loves me,” Niko wrote on X. “He told me he couldn’t arbitrarily tell me he loves me. Still cuts so deep.”
He wrote, “We were bad children, sure. Yes. But my sisters have always deserved better. They don’t deserve this outright disrespect. Hate us all day. You don’t get to be a piece of s—t forever and still skate by with all that we know.”
In his final post about it, Niko wrote, “We saved that man from federal prison. That’s all I’m going to say. But after all of this, I still love him so much because I know there’s my dad in there somewhere. But he’s a drone now. So fucking sad. Miss you, Dad. Marcus Aurelius. Superman.”
Brian was married to Niko’s mother, Julie McKnight, from 1990 to 2003. During that marriage, Julie also gave birth to the singer’s first namesake, Brian McKnight Jr.
Niko’s most recent Instagram post was shared on March 28 and uploaded his final vlog to the platform in February. His mother shared a video on her Instagram Story on May 29.
Julie uploaded a clip of singer-songwriter Tim Miner performing a song about a mother losing her “baby boy.” Minor was previously featured on Brian’s 1998 record “The First Noel” along with Claude.
Condolences for Niko poured in online as social media users learned of his passing. Plus, many people took the opportunity to blast Brian’s apparent foul treatment of his ill son.
“I know he’s probably regretting not telling his son he loves him,” wrote one person in the comments section of “The Neighborhood Talk’s post.
Another said, “He probably didn’t spend not one day with him in the hospital or during chemotherapy.. That guilt is gonna eat him UP!”
Most wrote, “Condolences to his mother and those that loved him.”
“And I hope his mom doesn’t let that man nor his wife anywhere near her son’s memorial!!!!” added a fifth person.
McKnight married his second wife Leilani Mendoza, who had two children from a previous relationship, in 2017. They also have one son together. The “One Last Cry” singer legally changed his name to Brian Kainoa Makoa Sr. to match the name of his youngest boy. The elder Brian Kainoa allegedly only referred to his stepchildren and newborn as his kids.
McKnight has yet to respond to news about his son’s passing on social media.
