Brian McKnight made no effort to reach out before estranged son Niko’s death: source

Brian McKnight made no effort to reach out to his estranged son Cole “Niko” McKnight before the 32-year-old died from cancer last week.

A source close to the situation exclusively tells Page Six that the “Back at One” singer “has not reached out to the family.”

“He did not contact or see Niko,” the insider tells us.

The source says Niko “was surrounded by an abundance of love and support from those who truly mattered,” including his mother, Julie McKnight, his older brother, Brian McKnight Jr., his wife, Carla, and other extended family members.

“He was not alone, and he was deeply cherished every step of the way,” the source tells us.

Page Six has reached out to Brian’s team for comment but did not immediately hear back.

On Friday, Julie, 53, took to Instagram to confirm the news that her second child, Niko, had passed away the day before after a two-year battle with cancer. He was 32.

“Nikolas was a cherished husband, son, brother, grandson, uncle, and nephew whose warmth, laughter, and love touched the lives of all who knew him,” she captioned a photo of herself with Niko and Brian Jr.

“Nikolas was a self taught artist of music and photography. His passing is an immeasurable loss to his family and all those who held him dear,” the “Home” singer added before asking for privacy during the difficult time.

Brian — who shares sons Brian Jr. and Niko with Julie; daughter Briana with ex Patricia Driver; and son Clyde with an unidentified woman — has had an estranged relationship with his eldest four children for the last few years.

In 2019, the “One Last Cry” crooner, 55, called his kids “entitled.”

In October 2023, Brian announced on Instagram that he had legally changed his name to become a senior to his then-newborn son, Brian Kainoa Makoa Jr., whom he shares with wife Leilani Mendoza — even though he had already been a senior to his eldest son, Brian Jr.

The following year, the 17-time Grammy nominee said he didn’t claim his estranged biological kids because they were the “product of sin.”

“In order to live a life that you love, you have to get rid of the evil and the negativity — even if that evil and negativity is related [to you],” he said during a Q&A session on Instagram at the time.

When a fan wrote that the musician disowning his children went “against God,” he replied: “1. God wasn’t talking about children that are the product of sin which these are 2. I didn’t raise them their mothers did 3. Know the whole story before quoting the Bible 4. Take your inaccurate negativity off my page and try being happy.”

Niko then slammed Brian for his remarks on social media.

“I’m evil. That’s wild: The guy who used to make me clean his used condoms out his bathroom at 15 before Lisa got home is calling me evil Fashoooooo,” he wrote in the Shade Room’s comments section in April 2024.

In a separate comment, the late photographer added, “The guy who forged [signatures] on our names is evil fashoooooooo.”

Brian also alleged that he and his wife were helping Niko with his medical needs when they found out he had cancer, but stopped once Julie allegedly intervened.

“We miraculously found a treatment facility near our home that put him at the top of the list and then we put down a deposit to secure that place,” the R&B singer claimed in an Instagram video last April.

While Brian and Mendoza were arranging for Niko and his wife to fly to their home, the “Anytime” singer claimed Julie made a “hostile” phone call to him, demanding he stop helping their son.

She denied the claims, telling Page Six: “This is, once again, a response to bait myself & my family into his false narrative. He is a liar.”

Brian and Mendoza tied the knot in December 2017.

He has become a father figure to her two children from a previous relationship, Julie and Jack. The “Cheaper to Keep Her” actor now refers to his stepchildren and his infant son as his only kids.