Latest news with #ShangaHankerson
Daily Mail
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
R&B legend Gladys Knight, 81, speaks out after son accuses her husband, 48, of elder abuse
Legendary singer Gladys Knight is setting the record straight after her son, Shanga Hankerson, publicly accused her husband William McDowell of elder abuse. In response to Hankerson's claim that McDowell, who is 33 years younger than Knight, is taking advantage of his mother, the Midnight Train to Georgia hitmaker, 81, assured fans that she is just fine. 'I want my fans and those concerned to rest assured I am doing very well for someone who has been on stage for three quarters of a century, hard to believe, right?' she told The Post. The seven-time Grammy winner continued: 'I'm healthy and happy and visiting friends and family these last few months. I'm excited to get back on the road with my sisters and on stage with The Queens Tour. See you soon.' She also noted that her 'health and performances have been misrepresented.' Her statement came after Hankerson, 49, filed a complaint with North Carolina 's Department of Human Services. Earlier this month, her son told The Shade Room that his mother's demanding tour schedule was 'detrimental' to her health. 'I don't want my mom out on tour on a tour bus wondering where she's at,' Hankerson said. In another recent interview, he told People: 'I did my best to give [McDowell] the space to play the role of husband and do what was in my mom's best interest, and he has not done that.' 'Why is she working? Why is she in this situation where she's being made to believe that she has to work like this? That's really my issue with it,' he explained. The 49-year-old also alleged his mom shows signs of cognitive decline. Knight's reps, however, told the outlet that her team is 'greatly saddened by Shanga's unfounded allegations' and that he has 'had no substantial contact with her.' 'She has not been on tour since June 1 and can't wait to begin touring again in September,' they continued. 'At this time our lawyers have no choice but to explore any and all legal remedies due to Shanga's defamatory comments.' In response, Hankerson called the statement 'inaccurate' and claimed to have been 'purposefully kept in a position of having minimal access' to his mom. 'This has nothing to do with money for me,' he insisted. 'I'm trying to get her to stop working.' McDowell opted not to weigh in on the allegations while appearing on Good Morning America last week. Knight and McDowell have been married for 24 years. In 2017, Knight won a legal order requiring her son, Shanga, to stop using her name, image, and memorabilia in connection with the Gladys Knight's Chicken and Waffles restaurants he had launched in Atlanta and Washington, D.C. Four years later, Shanga admitted guilt in a case involving his failure to withhold payroll taxes from employees at the eateries. As a result, he was sentenced to two years in prison and an additional year of supervised release, and was ordered to pay more than $1 million in restitution.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Gladys Knight denies son's claims of husband's mental, financial abuse
Gladys Knight is denying her son's allegations that the singer's husband has subjected her to 'mental and financial' abuse. A representative for the 'Midnight Train to Georgia' crooner told People she's 'healthy and happy,' and that the claims made by her son Shanga Hankerson are entirely 'unfounded.' Rather, Hankerson has allegedly had 'no substantial contact' with the 81-year-old Grammy winner, who's 'greatly saddened' by his claims against her fourth husband, William McDowell, to whom she's been married for 24 years. Hankerson, a behavior therapist, alleged to the outlet that McDowell has pushed his mother to tour, claiming the demand of the schedule is 'detrimental' to her health. Hankerson also said he's been purposefully allowed only 'minimal access' to Knight, whose 'deterioration has occurred over a period of years, and is very evident.' Hankerson made similar claims earlier this week to The Shade Room, accusing McDowell of manipulating people into believing his mother is fit to perform. Instead, Hankerson said, she's been showing signs of cognitive decline and is 'being made to think that she needs to work.' In response to the accusations, Knight's publicist said the music legend 'has not been on tour since June 1 (but) can't wait to begin touring again in September,' referring to The Queens Tour, which brings Knight together with Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle and Stephanie Mills. 'At this time our lawyers have no choice but to explore any and all legal remedies due to Shanga's defamatory comments,' the statement continued. This isn't the first time Knight has needed to consider legal action against her son, whom she shares with her second husband, music executive Barry Hankerson. They were married from 1974 to 1979. In 2017, Knight successfully ordered Shanga to stop using her name, likeness and memorabilia as part of the Gladys Knight's Chicken and Waffles restaurant chain he opened in Atlanta and Washington, D.C. Four years later, Shanga pleaded guilty to neglecting to withhold payroll taxes from the restaurants' employees. He was ordered to serve two years behind bars and a year of supervised release, in addition to paying more than $1 million in restitution.
