Brian McKnight is a father of five and shares his children with four women; two with his ex and current wives and three from his other relationships with ex-girlfriends.
Brian McKnight has cemented his name in the entertainment industry as an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, radio host, and multi-instrumentalist.
He had his breakout song, One Last Cry, which was released in 1993. It peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100.
An R&B performer, he is most recognized for his strong head voice, high belting range, and melisma.
His work has earned him 16 Grammy Award nominations, third only to Zubin Mehta and Snoop Dogg for the record of most Grammy nominations without a win.
Away from his profession, his love life often makes headlines. He is known to have been married two times but has had several relationships. Here are details on his current and ex-wives – plus two other women he had kids with.
Who is Leilani Malia Mendoza, Brian McKnight’s wife?
Leilani Malia Mendoza rose to popularity as a celebrity wife after marrying Brian McKnight.
Mendoza is a 46-year-old Filipino-Hawaiian woman living and working in the United States.
By profession, she is a medical doctor with specialisation in Pediatric Neurophysiologist at UCLA, per her LinkedIn profile. She takes care of children with brain anomalies.
McKnight and Mendoza began dating in 2014 and got engaged three years later, in May 2017.
The couple tied the knot on December 29, 2017, in an intimate wedding ceremony.
She was previously in a relationship before meeting Brian and has three kids from the relationship, Julia, who is 25 years old, and Jack, who is 23 years old.
Brian and Leilani had a son who died in infancy, however, they had another son in January 2023.
On October 20, 2023, Brian McKnight, who has been known over the years for his stellar performances as a versatile singer and entertainer, made an Instagram post explaining why he legally changed his name.
His post reads: “So proud to introduce our son. ?BRIAN KAINOA MAKOA JR. ? to the world with the release of my new album lovingly created for him. JR. because I am also proud to officially announce that I have legally changed my name to exactly match my legacy’s.”
He concluded: “My legal name is now BRIAN KAINOA MAKOA MCKNIGHT SR. “MCKNIGHTtime LULLABIES” the songs of a father to his namesake available now!”
How much is Leilani Malia Mendoza worth? Per reports, Brian McKnight’s second and current spouse has an estimated net worth of at least $1 million.
Who is Julie McKnight, Brian McKnight’s ex-wife?
Julie McKnight is the former wife of songwriter Brian McKnight. The couple were married for 13 years and share two sons together.
Julie was born in 1972, in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, United States, to Norris Turney, a Seventh-Day Adventist Minister, and Saundra Brooks, a theater performer.
Although detailed information about her schooling is not available, she went to the Huntsville-based Oakland College.
She and Brian are believed to have met in church while they were young and aspiring to be musicians. They were at the time in college.
The college sweethearts tied the knot in 1990 until their divorce in 2003 after having two children together.
By profession, Julie McKnight is a singer and songwriter and has singles like Home, Back Together, This Is for My People, Diamond Life, Bittersweet, This Feeling, and Finally, just to mention a few.
Due to her background in music, Julie developed an interest in singing during the 80s and shifted to Los Angeles with her father, Victor Sr. There, she got the opportunity to meet artists like Nancy Wilson, Nina Simone, Clifton David, and more.
She worked with DJ Mix on the album House Nation America. She started to release her singles in 2001 and was featured in albums like Kenny Dope in the House, One Love, and Until One.
The 51-year-old’s net worth is estimated to be around $500,000. She has been a recipient of a few accolades, including a nomination for the MTV2 Dancestar Music Awards in 2001 and Dance Music Awards in 2005.
Who else has Brian McKnight dated?
Aside from his current wife and ex-spouse, Brian McKnight has dated a few other women. Two of them ended up having his kids.
After his divorce from Julie and before meeting Mendoza, he was in a relationship with Annalisa Moncal, a mother of two. The singer proposed to her during his concert in 2010.
He had his daughter, Briana, with his ex-partner Patricia Driver.
His son, Clyde, came on earth from his relationship with a woman named Mariah. He was reportedly conceived when Brian was married to his first wife.