Brian McKnight's Son Niko Dies — Here's What Happened

Niko McKnight spent his last years fighting cancer, clinging to love, and creating art, while the cracks in his famous family played out in public. Now, he's gone.

Niko McKnight, son of R&B singer Brian McKnight, has died after living with cancer for approximately two years. The news was shared on May 30, 2025, by Niko's uncle, Claude McKnight, who spoke about his nephew's death in a TikTok video.

In his message, Claude explained that he initially hesitated to say anything publicly, but ultimately felt compelled to speak. "This morning I found out that my nephew, Nico McKnight, passed away," he said. "He'd been bravely battling cancer for the last two years or so."

Claude remembered his nephew as an extraordinary young man, offering a heartfelt tribute to the late Niko's creative talents and personality.

"Niko was one of those amazing kids who was quirky and curious and ridiculously talented," Claude said. "Amazing singer and amazing guitar player, had a great eye as a photographer... somebody you always wanted to be around. And so it really sucks that he's no longer with us."

The nearly three-minute video was emotional and candid, with Claude openly acknowledging the complicated dynamics within the McKnight family. However, he stated he did not want to focus on it. "I wanted to post this about Niko, about his legacy... not about what some of you may have heard about... the family drama," he said.

While he didn’t elaborate, he noted that many issues had gone unresolved. He continued, "I just try to be as loving to each person as I can be because apparently there's so much hurt going on—or was so much hurt going on that a lot of things didn’t get resolved."

He went on to reflect on Niko’s inner battles. "I know that kid had a lot inside, a lot eating at him for a long long long time," he stated. "I may have contributed to what happened with him. What I do know is he is out of pain now."

Toward the end of the video, Claude's message grew even more personal, suggesting that Niko had internal struggles during his life. "I know that kid had a lot inside, a lot eating at him for a long, long, long time," he said. "I may have contributed to what happened with him. What I do know is he is out of pain now."

Claude concluded his tribute with a message of love and peace, ending his video with, "I just wanna uplift that young man and say we will see him again one day," before holding up a two-finger peace sign.

Niko had been open about his illness. In January 2024, he posted on Instagram that he had been diagnosed with cancer. "Your boy got the big C," he wrote. Though he acknowledged it had been a rough journey, he also said, "Things are looking better now than they were before."

He thanked those supporting him and gave a heartfelt mention to his wife. "Shout out to my wife @phoenixelbow for saving my life (that's a story for another day)," he wrote.

By December 2024, Niko had shared a positive update. It read, "For the past 2–3 months, I've been feeling the best I've felt since coming home from the hospital last year."

He revealed he had gone three months without eating and had relied entirely on IV nutrition. "Now I feel like I can see the light from the other side of the woods," he wrote.

On Valentine's Day 2025, he called his wife "the greatest thing to ever happen to me," adding, "Thank you for saving my life. I still can't believe we're married!" He had referred to her as "my wife" in an earlier post from June 2023, though he did not specify when they got married.

Before photography became his main focus, Niko performed music with his father and brother. In a 2009 interview, the elder Brian introduced his sons, Brian Jr. and Niko, as a musical group. "They have sort of a rock-pop-R&B hybrid that they do together," he said, noting that the brothers handled all the music themselves.

At the time, the trio was preparing to release an EP. Later, Niko pursued a career in photography. According to his LinkedIn profile, he worked for Times10, a production company based in Burbank, California, and had been photographing professionally for more than seven years.

Despite their shared past in music, the relationship between Niko and his father became distant. In a video posted online, Brian senior addressed the estrangement, saying, "My two sons are 30 and 27 — not 12, not 13... I've always been there every step of the way... until recently."

Brian said he provided his sons with housing and opportunities after they moved out. He also claimed that his wife, Leilani, helped them secure jobs at a hospital, which they declined. "They said, quote, that they knew they didn't want to stop smoking and they would have to pass a drug test," he said.

He acknowledged that he had supported them as much as he possibly could and explained that when they didn't meet expectations, the relationship broke down. "Yes, I'm not abandoning them. We are estranged," he said.

Brian also referred to a music video for the song "42," which he said was co-written with Brian Jr. and directed by Niko. "He did an awesome job," he said in the clip. As of May 31, 2025, Brian McKnight has not made a public statement directly addressing Niko's death.