Gladys Knight is pushing back against her son’s claims that she’s being mistreated, assuring fans that she’s doing well and ready to keep performing.
The 81-year-old music icon addressed concerns after her son, Shanga Hankerson, alleged that Knight’s husband, William McDowell, has been mentally and financially abusive.
Hankerson said he filed a complaint with North Carolina’s Department of Human Services earlier this month, which reportedly led to a wellness check at Knight’s home.
Knight, who’s been touring alongside Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle, and Stephanie Mills on The Queens Tour, released a statement dismissing those claims.
“I’m sorry that my health and performances have been misrepresented,” she said exclusively to PEOPLE. “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. I’m healthy and happy…excited to get back on the road with my sisters and on stage with The Queens Tour.”
Hankerson insists the picture isn’t so clear. He told the outlet that Knight has struggled with memory lapses in recent years, including one incident where she allegedly didn’t recognize him for nearly an hour.
He also cited an occasion where she wandered away from a hotel while on tour. “Why is she working? Why is she in this situation where she’s being made to believe she has to work like this?” he said, adding that McDowell has not acted in his mother’s best interest.
Knight’s publicist, Laura Herlovich, responded by calling Hankerson’s accusations “unfounded,” claiming he’s had little contact with his mother.
She also noted that Knight hasn’t performed since June and is looking forward to resuming the tour in September. Her team said legal action could be considered in response to what they view as defamatory statements.
For his part, Hankerson says he’s motivated solely by concern for his mother’s health, not money. Still, this isn’t the first time mother and son have clashed: in 2017, Knight won a legal battle against him over the use of her name in connection with his failed restaurant chain.