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Brian McKnight has broken his silence following the death of his estranged son Niko McKnight, who passed away two years after a cancer diagnosis at the age of 32.
In a lengthy Instagram Reel, McKnight slammed his brother Claude McKnight and ex-wife Julie McKnight, accusing them of not allowing Niko to accept help and not allowing him to use a line of communication.
"A 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," McKnight said.
McKnight also revealed that he and his family had a private memorial for Niko in Maui, remembering all the good times while everything was unfolding.
"The last time he and I spoke, we offered him all the help we could provide, we had the number one oncologist on deck for him and a team of specialists on standby with private care in our home," McKnight said. "He and his mother declined. The door of communication was open and remained open until his death."
McKnight then directed his anger towards his ex-wife Julie, saying "May God have mercy on your soul for not allowing him to accept that help and not allowing him to use that line of communication."
Claude McKnight had revealed the news of Niko's death in a three-minute TikTok video, where he shared his legacy and commented on the "family drama."
"I'm devastated at my nephew's passing. If you comment please do so in love, and NOT at what you may have heard about the relationship my brother had/has with his kids. Thank you," Claude captioned the video.
Claude also shared that he tends to stay away from posting about "serious" matters but wanted to open up about his nephew's "legacy."
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