Gladys Knight says she is “healthy and happy” after her son Shanga Hankerson raised allegations of elder abuse against Knight’s husband, William McDowell.
The “Empress of Soul” reassured fans about her well-being in a statement sent to ABC News last Friday, Aug. 15.
“I’m sorry that my health and performances have been misrepresented,” Knight wrote in the statement. “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?”
“I’m healthy and happy and visiting friends and family these last few months,” she continued. “I’m excited to get back on the road with my sisters and on stage with ‘The Queens Tour’ — see you soon.”
Laura Herlovich, Knight’s publicist, also provided a separate statement to ABC News Friday.
“Gladys and her team are greatly saddened by Shanga’s unfounded allegations, especially as he has had no substantial contact with her,” Herlovich wrote. “She has not been on tour since June 1st and can’t wait to begin touring again in September. At this time our lawyers have no choice but to explore any and all legal remedies due to Shanga’s defamatory comments.”
The family dispute became public after Hankerson expressed concerns about his mother’s cognitive health in an interview with The Shade Room. He claimed he noticed changes in 2024 and recalled one performance where his mother “zoned out.”
“The background singer started singing… and that brought her back,“ Hankerson told the outlet. ”They’re having to rewind the teleprompters because my mom is forgetting to even look at them.”
He added, “I don’t want my mom out on tour, on a tour bus, wondering where she’s at.”
Hankerson said he filed a complaint with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, accusing McDowell of elder abuse.
McDowell declined further comment, telling ABC News he is letting Knight’s statement speak for itself.
Knight will embark on the second run of “The Queens Tour” starting Sept. 19 in Greensboro, North Carolina. The 7-time Grammy Award winner has two more solo shows scheduled in November and December as well.
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