Brian McKnight, known for his timeless love songs like “Back At One,” “One Last Cry,” and “Anytime,” has enjoyed a celebrated musical career with 17 Grammy nominations, a Soul Train Award, and an NAACP Image Award. However, beneath the surface of his success, there’s a more complicated and darker side to his personal life. It’s now known that McKnight has fathered five children with three different women, and accusations have been made that he abandoned his eldest children. The situation has escalated so much that one of his children has even sued him.
Early Life and Troubled Relationships
For some background, Brian McKnight was born on June 5, 1969, making him a Gemini—a detail some of our RRG fans might find interesting. His relationship troubles began with his college sweetheart, Julie. At twenty, Brian got Julie pregnant. Initially relieved when she said she wouldn’t keep the baby, he married her in 1990 after she changed her mind. Their son, Brian Jr., was born that same year, followed by their second son, Nico, two years later.
Despite his professional achievements, McKnight’s personal life was far from smooth. In November 2001, while still married to Julie, he had a baby girl with Patricia Driver, marking his third child with a second woman. Brian and Julie divorced around 2003 after 13 years of marriage. Reflecting on his early marriage, McKnight told Oprah on “Where Are They Now” that getting married young was a mistake, advising, “When you decide to make a commitment to someone, make sure that person has everything you want.”
Brian McKnight’s personal life reveals a stark contrast to his public image, highlighting the complexities and challenges he has faced beyond his musical career.
From Romance to Scandal
Around 2007, Brian began dating Annalisa Mungle, a mother of two. Things took a wild turn in December 2008 when adult star Alana Evans visited Brian’s home. Although Brian was in New York, his 15 and 17-year-old sons, along with a man named Nicholas Hayes, were present. Evans later alleged that Nicholas assaulted her while Brian’s sons held her down. Brian stated that the police found no evidence of assault, and the charges were dropped.
A Public Proposal and a DNA Drama
Brian proposed to Annalisa at his Valentine’s Day concert in 2010, and she accepted. Just two months later, TMZ revealed court documents accusing Brian of fathering a child with a woman named Miriam. A DNA test proved otherwise, but the drama didn’t end there. Brian and Annalisa planned to marry on July 2, 2011, but Brian called off the wedding abruptly.
Embracing Single Life and Stirring Controversy
Appearing on “Oprah: Where Are They Now,” Brian admitted to past mistakes in his love life and declared his intent to avoid further errors. As a single man, he embraced his freedom. In 2012, after injuring his ankle, he recorded a provocative song titled “If You’re Ready to Learn,” about a woman’s anatomy, as a parody during his recovery boredom. The song garnered unexpected attention from the adult industry.
New Ventures in the Adult Industry
The adult industry quickly took notice, inviting Brian to perform at their annual awards gala and requesting to license his song for their website. Seizing the opportunity, Brian recorded another track for an adult website, this time focusing on a woman’s anatomy in explicit detail. According to TMZ, the song delved into the exploration of a woman’s body, pushing boundaries even further.
Brian’s journey from romance to scandal has certainly been a wild ride, capturing attention and sparking controversy at every turn.
The Spotlight on His Sons
Guess who he featured as the rap artists on his latest track? His 19 and 22-year-old sons, Brian Jr. and Nico. A writer for Madame Noire even called Brian a contender for the worst dad of the year. Hopefully, this is just a midlife crisis phase he’s going through. The music video, filmed at his Los Angeles home, showed Brian avoiding the camera. Instead, the lead role was played by a little person known as Five Cent.
Brian’s two sons were also in the video, rapping about the rug burns they got during intimate acts, surrounded by 15 adult stars in bikinis. TMZ reported that the adult company uploaded the video to YouTube, but it was taken down for inappropriate content. They re-uploaded just the song’s audio, which YouTube also removed. Maybe this was a sign for Brian to stick to traditional R&B music.
That same year, he met Leilani Mendoza, a pediatric neurophysiologist and mother of two, at a fitness convention. They hit it off immediately, but Leilani made it clear that Brian wasn’t going to get lucky right away. Brian flew to her hometown of Seattle the following weekend and treated her to a wonderful time. After a year of dating, they moved in together, and Brian focused on being a good partner and a father figure to her children. He told the Montgomery Advertiser he was truly in love for the first time in his life. They got engaged in May 2017 and married in 2018.
Meanwhile, people wondered about Brian’s children from previous relationships, especially his two sons. They were once so close and created musical masterpieces together.
His Children
When Leilani came into the picture, it felt like Brian’s sons disappeared from his life. In 2019, his children, Brian Jr. and Brianna, publicly accused him of abandoning them. Brianna shared on Instagram that she grew up thinking her dad didn’t visit her because he didn’t love her. She was hurt to see him prioritize Leilani’s children over his own. Brian Jr. called him a bad grandfather and mentioned trying to take the high road. He highlighted a bigger issue with black fathers in entertainment neglecting their kids.
So, what was Junior talking about? He might have been addressing the trend of black entertainers having multiple children but not being present in their lives. Public figures like Scottie Pippen and Dr. Dre have faced similar accusations from their kids.
According to The Jasmine Brand, Brian denied being an absent father. He said he always paid child support and was involved in his children’s lives until he stopped supporting his oldest financially around the time he started dating Leilani. Although people blamed Leilani for the estrangement, Brian insisted she tried to mend the relationship, but his children were ungrateful. He mentioned that Leilani even tried to get his sons jobs at her hospital, but they failed the substance tests. Brian accused Brian Jr. of breaking into his home, defacing wedding photos, and replacing them with pictures of his mom, Julie. Because of these actions, Brian said he became estranged from his sons.
Regarding his daughter Brianna, Brian initially included her in his family with Leilani and her children. However, he later posted a video revealing their relationship soured after he reported a rumor about Brianna having an intimate relationship with an older cousin. He claimed Brianna’s mother blocked Leilani and her son from contacting Brianna on social media. Brian felt this indicated they didn’t want him involved in Brianna’s life, suggesting her mother only had a child with him for money.
Through the Years
Brian’s decision to bring that allegation to social media backfired. RRG discovered that in 2020, Brianna sued him for defamation and invasion of privacy over the video. She later added claims of him failing to pay for a one-million-dollar life insurance policy as per a 2003 family law judgment. They reached a private settlement in February 2023.
Over the years, Brian has made it clear on social media that he considers himself, Leilani, and her children his family. Almost every post is a love declaration to his wife, but his posts about Leilani’s children have angered many. Brian publicly dotes on her children and boasts about buying them lavish gifts. In one post, he called Leilani’s daughter “the perfect daughter I always wanted.” This likely hurt Brianna. Brian and Leilani had a baby boy in 2021. In an Instagram post, Brian made another dig at his older children, writing, “For the very first time in my life, I got to experience what it’s like to want to and plan to have a child made from love.”
Brian McKnight’s Mother’s Day 2022 Tribute Sparks Controversy
On Mother’s Day 2022, Brian McKnight shared a heartfelt tribute revealing the heartbreaking loss of his baby. He wrote, “Our son will always be a part of us and live on in our hearts forever. I’ve never been prouder in my life than I am right now being the father to our three incredible children.” However, fans quickly criticized him for allegedly abandoning his three older biological children, a criticism that has persisted over the years. As a result, Brian has started limiting or turning off comments on his posts to avoid judgment.
New Beginnings and Further Controversy
In January 2023, Brian and his wife Leilani announced the birth of their son, naming him Brian McKnight—despite already having an eldest son with the same name. Shortly after, Brian shared an open letter to his newborn on Instagram, stating, “After I’m gone, I bestow upon you all of the fruits of my labor as my true heir to take care of you and yours for the generations to come.” This gesture was perceived by many as a public slight to his other children.
The Mystery Behind the Estrangement
The big question remains: Why has Brian seemingly abandoned his three eldest children? While the answer isn’t clear, VeryWell.com notes that parents who abandon their children often feel ill-equipped to provide the necessary emotional and financial stability. The long-term effects of such abandonment can lead to insecurity in relationships and potential issues with codependency.
The Impact of Abandonment
According to people who have experienced abandonment may be more prone to long-term mental health issues, including mood swings and anger problems. The emotional pain his children must feel when seeing their father happy with his new family is unimaginable. While some estranged parents eventually seek forgiveness and reconciliation, it remains to be seen if Brian will follow this path. Regardless of other sources of love and support, a father’s love holds a unique and irreplaceable value.