American singer, songwriter, and record producer Brian McKnight recently sat down with Anton Daniels and spoke about his career and personal life. The interview was uploaded on YouTube on November 20.During the candid chat, McKnight revealed how he met his first wife, Julie, at college, when he was a sophomore, and she was a freshman. A year after they began dating, Julie got pregnant.Later, he did the “right thing” and got married in September 1990 and had the baby in November. At the time, he was 20 and Julie McKnight was 18. However, the marriage ended in divorce after 13 years.When asked why he held on to it for that long, Brian McKnight told Anton Daniels around the 39-minute mark:“Because of the kids… I was never in love with their mother. I wasn’t. They weren’t made from love to begin with… There’s resentment there. But at the same time, you have these children and you want to try to do your best and to do right by them.”In May 2025, Brian McKnight sued his ex-wife for seemingly making “false statements” against him in her book, Mama Bear: Beautifully Blended. Last month, he won an $8.8 million settlement.Julie and Brian McKnight had two sons during their relationship, including Niko and Brian Jr.Exploring Brian McKnight’s lawsuit against Julie McKnightEarlier this year, Brian McKnight filed a defamation lawsuit against Julie McKnight in a Wake County court in North Carolina. In the legal documents reviewed by Complex, the R&B artist claimed that his ex-wife made fabricated claims about him in her latest book.“In the book, Ms McKnight claims that she was emotionally abused and harassed by Mr McKnight. Additionally, Ms McKnight claims that Mr McKnight neglected the well-being of their minor children and that he was the sole reason as to why neither she nor their children were ever fully successful in the music industry,” the court filing read.Brian McKnight dubbed the accusations a “hoax” and claimed that they were made by Julie to generate “positive publicity for herself and her career.” He also asked for compensation.On October 16, McKnight appeared on his Instagram and claimed he had won $8.8 million against Julie, after she failed to appear before the court.“It’s been a long journey getting to this day: October 16th, 2025… The verdict is in. We’ve been quiet, listening to liars continue to lie and keeping to ourselves, living and loving our lives. As we said, leaving everything in God’s hands and letting our lawyer do the talking,” the video began.It continued:“But according to the courts, trying to ruin my name and trying to bring harm to my family in a book filled with lies equals $8.8 million. And this is just the beginning. Because anyone and everyone who helped promote these lies will hear from my lawyer in the days to come. No weapon formed against us shall prosper. Now, from my voicemail is the voice of a liar.” View this post on Instagram Instagram PostMeanwhile, amid Brian McKnight’s announcement, TMZ reported that the celebration was premature as his motion for default judgment had yet to be confirmed.Brian’s video post also had an audio clip, seemingly from Julie, where she warned her ex-husband not to contact their now-late son, Niko, who died from cancer in May.The voicemail also had a message for McKnight’s current wife, Leilani Mendoza, who is a model and neurophysiologist.“Leilani, if you are also checking these messages, that goes for you as well. I am very serious about this. I am very serious about this. Do not text him, period… Please understand that. And Brian, you know me. You know me, and you know that I mean what I'm saying to you,” it stated.Brian and Leilani, who married in 2017, had a son, who died as an infant. Later, the couple welcomed another son, Brian Kainoa Makoa Jr, in December 2022. McKnight also has a daughter named Briana and a son named Clyde from a previous relationship.Brian McKnight and Leilani Mendoza At Celebrity Fight Night XXV - Backstage and Audience - Source: GettyIn 2016, the R&B singer appeared on Oprah: Where Are They Now? and acknowledged that getting married at 20 wasn’t the right decision and urged everyone not to “compromise” before committing to someone in a romantic relationship.Brian McKnight faced backlash last year when he called his sons, Niko and Brian Jr, “products of sin” in a past social media rant.“To live a life that you love, you have to get rid of the evil and the negativity—even if that evil and negativity is related to you,” he stated about his four adult children in an Instagram comment.McKnight is also a stepfather to Mendoza’s two children from her past marriage.During his recent chat with Anton Daniels, Brian McKnight asked his male viewers to “learn from my mistakes” and told the host that the likes of them should “mentor” younger men about how to navigate their personal and professional lives.