Why Brian McKnight Sr. changed his name to match newborn son
Defends why he made this decision
American singer-songwriter Brian McKnight Sr. recently made headlines when he legally changed his name to match his newborn son's name, Brian Kainoa Makoa Jr.
On an Instagram post, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, the 17-time Grammy nominee expressed his pride in introducing his son to the world and announced that he had officially changed his name to Brian Kainoa Makoa McKnight Sr. to match his legacy.
He wrote, "So proud to introduce our son Biran Kainoa Makoa Jr. to the world with the release of my new album lovingly created for him."
"Because I am also proud to officially announce that I have legally changed my name to exactly match my legacy’s. My legal name is now Brian Kainoa Makoa McKnight Sr.," he added.
Along with this announcement, McKnight also revealed that he had created an album titled "MCKNIGHTtime LULLABIES" dedicated to his 9-month-old son.
But, the 57-year old actor's decision faced criticism from fans, who accused him of disassociating himself from his four children—Briana, Clyde, Niko, and Brian McKnight Jr, who he has from previous relationships.
Fans now suggested Brian McKnight Jr. to avoid being attached to his father, McKnight Sr. But McKnight Jr. replied to a deleted comment of a fan, "I’m not ashamed of the name my ancestors had,” adding, “I’ll never change the name my own son now has. We are witnessing an obscene level of self hate that has reached mental illness status at this point.”
“Legacy isn’t in the name. It’s in the character of the people. It will all be quite clear soon, just who’s on the right side of all this, because there’s no escaping what’s coming," he concluded.
The situation has sparked a debate among fans and the public, with people expressing different opinions on the matter.
Brian McKnight Jr. is the eldest son of Brian McKnight Sr., (who recently changed his name to Brian Kainoa Makoa McKnight Sr. ) with ex-wife Julie McKnight.
Brian Kainoa Makoa Jr. is Brian McKnight Sr.'s son with his current wife Leilani Mendoza.