Brian McKnight Celebrates Ex-Wife Not Appearing in Court for Defamation Suit

Brian McKnight has declared a win in his defamation lawsuit against ex-wife Julie McKnight, following her failure to show up in court.

He has filed a motion for a default judgment and awaits the court’s approval to finalize his win… but that hasn’t stopped Brian from celebrating prematurely.

The R&B icon shared a video of himself enjoying a cigar, stating, “The verdict is in” — although it technically isn’t — “as per the courts, my reputation being attacked with false claims in a book filled with fabrications is worth $8.8 million.”

The lawsuit claims Julie falsely portrayed Brian in her book, “Mama Bear: Beautifully Blended,” alleging he was an abusive spouse and neglectful father.

The jubilant video features Brian dancing around and clicking his heels as a voicemail — presumably from Julie — plays in the background.

“Do not text Niko again. Do not call Niko again,” the voice insists. “Brian, you know me and you know that I mean what I’m saying to you.”

Niko was their son who passed away from cancer at 32, and that message played while Brian joyfully skipped around.

On October 6, the involved parties were given a timeframe of 21 days to respond, so stay tuned for further developments.