Brian McKnight’s ex-wife was heartbroken to hear the singer refused to tell their son Niko “I love you” on his deathbed.
“Those words should come easily, freely and often,” Julie McKnight told Page Six in an exclusive statement Friday. “And in Niko’s case, lying on his sick bed, fighting through pain, fear and uncertainty, he deserved that love spoken over him more than ever.”
The 54-year-old, who was married to Brian from 1990 to 2003, added that “there is nothing more heartbreaking than hearing your child say that all they want is to simply his his father say” those three words.
“No child should have to long for something so basic, so pure, so necessary to the human heart,” she continued. “As his mother, hearing those words from him cut deeper than anything I could have imagined.
“It reminded me of how powerful love is and how deeply our children depend on it, especially in their most fragile moments,” Julie noted.
She only “ever wanted… Niko to feel safe, cherished and unconditionally loved.”
Julie concluded, “I pray that every parent understands the weight of their words, the importance of their presence, and the healing that love spoken and shown can bring.”
She and the Grammy nominee welcomed Brian Jr. and Niko, who died in May at age 32, during their time together.
The former couple’s eldest child exposed Brian’s refusal to tell Niko he loved him in a recent interview with Marc Lamont Hill, calling it “one of the darkest and coldest and most disheartening memories of [his] life.”
He claimed his brother called “sobbing” over the songwriter’s response to his request, which allegedly was, “I can’t arbitrarily say that I love you.”
Brian’s rep has yet to respond to Page Six’s requests for comment.
The American Music Award nominee has long been estranged from his and Julie’s sons, revealing in 2024 that he does not claim Brian Jr. and Niko because he considers them a “product of sin.”
Last year, Brian explained, “In order to live a life that you love, you have to get rid of the evil and the negativity — even if that evil and negativity is related [to you].”
The musician even welcomed a baby boy with wife Leilani Mendoza in 2023 and named him Brian Jr.
Brian’s Instagram bio states he also considers himself the “father of [stepchildren] Julia [and] Jack,” as well as son Kekoa, who died in infancy.
In addition to Brian Jr. and Niko, he also leaves out daughter Briana and son Clyde.
When Niko revealed his cancer diagnosis in January 2024, Brian claimed he offered to help but Julie demanded he stop — an allegation she labeled a “false narrative.”
A source told us Brian did “not contact or see” Niko before his passing and did not “reach out” to the family afterward.
The performer, Mendoza and their kids held a “private memorial” in Maui, Brian claimed.
The post Brian McKnight’s ex-wife blasts singer’s ‘heartbreaking’ choice not to tell dying son Niko ‘I love you’ appeared first on Page Six.
