Brian McKnight has publicly criticized his brother, Claude McKnight, for announcing the death of Brian’s estranged son, Cole “Niko” McKnight, on social media.
As previously reported, Niko passed away on May 29, 2025, at the age of 32, following a two-year battle with cancer.
Claude shared the news via a heartfelt TikTok video, describing Niko as “quirky and curious and ridiculously talented,” and expressing his devastation over the loss. He acknowledged the family’s complicated dynamics but emphasized love and healing.
Brian responded with a strongly worded Instagram post, labeling Claude’s announcement as “tasteless” and accusing him of using Niko’s death for personal gain.
“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. It has instead turned into a circus, a mockery of a life now lost, making this tragedy into a reality show type drama” Brian wrote via Instagram.
Despite their estrangement, Brian claimed that he and his current family held a private memorial for Niko in Maui and that he had offered Niko access to top medical care, which was declined. “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 . He and his mother declined.”
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