Brian McKnight Takes Major Radio Network to Court Over Interview

Photo Credit: Brian McKnight by Gage Skidmore / CC by 2.0

Singer-songwriter Brian McKnight files a defamation lawsuit over a radio interview with his ex-wife in which he was accused of neglecting his kids.

R&B singer-songwriter Brian McKnight is suing The Rickey Smiley Morning Show and North Carolina radio personality Karen Clark for defamation. The complaint stems from the public scrutiny surrounding the relationship between McKnight and his two eldest adult children. That scrutiny has intensified following the airing of a sensitive clip of McKnight’s son, as well as an interview conducted with McKnight’s ex-wife.

According to legal analysts, McKnight’s complaint names the nationally syndicated radio show for broadcasting a sensitive clip featuring his son, Brian McKnight Jr. In the clip, McKnight Jr. claimed that his father refused to tell his other son, Niko, that he loved him before Niko died of cancer in May 2025.

The lawsuit also names radio host Karen Clark of Foxy 107.1/104.3 over an interview she conducted with McKnight’s ex-wife, Julie McKnight, in January last year. The complaint alleges that Clark used “leading questions” during the interview to “elicit damaging statements” about him.

McKnight claims that the interview painted him as an “emotionally abusive, mentally abusive, and neglectful father.” He further asserts that Clark agreed with Julie McKnight’s accusations instead of remaining neutral, and that she should have provided him a chance to respond.

McKnight is seeking $25,000 in compensatory damages for each claim, as well as punitive damages.

But it’s not the first time the R&B singer has made headlines over his relationship with his children. He has faced plenty of public backlash for his decision to “disown” his eldest children, whom he has referred to as “evil” and “product[s] of sin.” He’s also faced cancelled concert dates and clashes with other celebrities, including Tyrese Gibson and Marc Lamont Hill, for his stance.