Brian McKnight is facing renewed criticism over his ongoing family feud after interviewing the stepfather of his son Brian Jr.’s children for his Fatherhood Fridays series.
In the conversation, McKnight spoke with guest Nathaniel Glidewell about being a stepfather and raising his wife’s two older children, who are McKnight’s grandchildren. He repeatedly brought the focus back to the children’s biological father—his estranged son—questioning Glidewell about the level of involvement.
“How has that been for you with your two older children’s father?” McKnight asked. “Is there a relationship there with you, with the kids? Is there static? How does that work?”
After Glidewell noted there has been little contact, McKnight followed up by asking whether things would change if the biological father became more involved, adding, “If their father wanted to be more involved, how would that change things, or would it change things at all?”
The discussion then turned to the emotional impact on the children, as McKnight asked Glidewell how they feel about their biological father. Glidewell explained that the children want a closer relationship, but said any involvement has been inconsistent.
McKnight followed up by asking how frequently the biological father has been present over the years.
“And if you could give it like how often their dad comes around, how often would that be in these last five years on average?” he asked.
Glidewell replied that visits were usually limited to “once or twice a year,” mostly during birthdays or Christmas.
McKnight also expanded the conversation to include the wider family, asking about the involvement of grandparents, aunts, uncles, or cousins.
“Now their father I’m sure has family,” McKnight said. “Are they involved at all? There’s got to be a grandmother. Are there people that are aunts, uncles, cousins, anybody else that’s around on his side?”
After Glidewell said that side of the family was largely absent, McKnight responded, “It doesn’t seem like that side of the family is doing much of anything for these kids… Wow.”
While McKnight didn’t directly name his estranged son during the interview, many viewers interpreted the comments as a response to past accusations that he abandoned his children.
He also addressed criticism in the comments section of the video, replying to a supporter who called him “unapologetic.”
McKnight wrote, “Isn’t it hilarious to watch. They know [Brian McKnight Jr.] and his mother and her whole family are frauds but they support them anyway. I’ve proven it time and time again but here they are when I prove it again giving him a pass when they know those kids were taken care of well into their late 20s ! So you have to ask the question, why since he made that post in 2019 did they just believe it without even making sure it was true. I’m still trying to figure that out almost 7 years later.”
The interview marks another chapter in the long-running public family dispute involving McKnight, which has continued to unfold online amid ongoing tension with several of his older children.
