Brian McKnight's Detroit concert canceled due to backlash from fans

Is Brian McKnight’s family war against his older biological children starting to affect his livelihood? This is being debated after one of his recent concerts in Detroit was forcibly canceled following widespread backlash over his being an alleged deadbeat father.

On April 23, it was announced via Facebook that the “Anytime” crooner was scheduled to perform at the Sound Board Theater at the MotorCity Casino Hotel, but some were calling for his retirement. “Tell him to bring his kids and we can come,” one customer wrote.

Another replied: “That wouldn’t even go for free,” while someone else commented: “F*** Brian McKnight” but used tomato emojis instead of spelling out the expletive. The post has since been deleted.

The concert, scheduled for June 9, was then canceled by the organizers. No statement has been provided and ticket holders will be refunded.

When HuffPostPhil Lewis’ Phil Lewis brought awareness to the situation on May 3, with one fan reacting: “He’s playing a concert in one of the blackest cities while being anti-black? He forgot who his audience was. The new tour dates should only be in white states. Idaho. Maine. Massachusetts. Let’s see how far he goes.

In recent years, McKnight has found himself on the verge of cancellation because he refuses to recognize his older black children as his own. He only recognizes his wife Leilani Mendoza’s older children, Julia and Jack, the son they lost – Kekoa Matteo – and the son they share, Brian Kainoa Makoa Jr.. The singer changed his name at the birth of the latter to “match exactly my heritage.

Recently, he called his children from his first marriage a “product of sin” and was even denounced by his son, Niko, and his ex-wife, Julie. In May 2023, he said it was a false narrative that he “abandoned” his children, but Julie has since doubled down on him being a liar when it comes to how he treats their children .