Brian McKnight is a popular R&B singer with years of experience as a singer. Yes, Brian McKnight is married. He wedded Leilani McKnight (Mendoza) in 2017. Before that he was married to Julie McKnight from 1990 to 2003.
McKnight's life has been at the center of controversy and media attention in recent years, not just for family wins but also for family defeats. One of the recent incidents involved his son Niko McKnight, who died battling colon cancer in 2025. He was 32. His passing highlighted McKnight's personal life and family.
How many children does Brian McKnight have?

Brian McKnight currently has seven total children. This is a combination of 5 biological and 2 stepchildren. He has two sons from his ex-wife, singer-songwriter Julie McKnight. They are Brian McKnight Jr. and Niko McKnight.
Niko passed away in May 2025 after a two-year fight with colon cancer. Aside from the two sons, Brian has one daughter, Briana and another son Clyde from his previous relationships.
With Leilani, he had 2 biological son out of which one passed away during infancy and two stepchildren. The other son was Brian Jr. who was born in 2022. Leilani’s two children, Julia and Jack, from a previous relationship, are considered stepchildren by law, but Brian refers to them as his own.
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What is McKnight’s relationship with his older children?
Brian McKnight's relationship with his older kids has been tense for many years. He has been candid about being a long way from some of them. His older children have also expressed themselves on social media and in interviews, which has created public uproar.
Brian has been criticized for failing to publicly mention his older kids in recent social media updates. Some of his updates only feature his current family with Leilani, which critics among his fans and followers have complained about. Brian has justified his move by saying that he is concentrating on the family he is currently raising.
His complicated relationship is further accentuated by the recent death of his son Niko. Although they were not on good terms in recent times, Niko's death has shed light on their complex relationship once again.
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Brian McKnight is married to Leilani McKnight and has a son with her. He has other children whom he is also a father to, as well as a stepfather to. His family life is complicated by previous relationships and public struggles.
The loss of his son Niko has put all these relationships under scrutiny. Though McKnight is concerned about his immediate family, his issues with the older children still capture public attention.