{"id":34195,"date":"2025-08-14T23:00:22","date_gmt":"2025-08-14T23:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/?p=34195"},"modified":"2025-08-14T23:00:22","modified_gmt":"2025-08-14T23:00:22","slug":"shanga-hankerson-son-of-gladys-knight-raises-serious-concerns-over-the-icons-well-being-in-a-startling-revelation-late-press","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/?p=34195","title":{"rendered":"Shanga Hankerson, son of Gladys Knight, raises serious concerns over the icon\u2019s well-being in a startling revelation \u2013 Late Press"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

Shanga Hankerson, son of music icon Gladys Knight, has accused her husband, William McDowell, of elder abuse. He claims the 81-year-old singer is being overworked despite signs of declining cognitive health.<\/p>\n

\n

Hankerson reportedly filed a complaint with North Carolina\u2019s Department of Health and Human Services (DHS) to protect his mother. The allegations, first reported by\u00a0The Shade Room<\/em>\u00a0on August 13, 2025, claim McDowell is forcing Knight to continue touring while portraying her as unaffected.<\/p>\n

Knight is scheduled to perform alongside Chaka Khan, Stephanie Mills, and Patti LaBelle in the next leg of her tour.<\/p>\n

Concerns About Her Health<\/h3>\n

Hankerson told\u00a0The Shade Room<\/em>, \u201cI\u2019m extremely concerned about how she is being handled right now.\u201d He explained that Knight\u2019s demeanor has shifted over the years, from \u201cangelic\u201d to \u201caggressive,\u201d especially when she becomes disoriented or cannot locate McDowell.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s my biggest issue,\u201d Hankerson added. \u201cHe manipulates that to the fullest and not in a good way. She\u2019s being made to think that she needs to work, and what that means is that he\u2019s not going to be present with her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

Hankerson also described an incident where Knight left her hotel, ended up at another across town, and could not answer staff questions about her presence. He claims McDowell later texted him, noting she has \u201cSundowner syndrome,\u201d a dementia-related condition causing confusion and agitation in the late afternoon and evening.<\/p>\n

\"US<\/figure>\n

US singer Gladys Knight and William McDowell arrive for the 45th Kennedy Center Honors at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on December 4, 2022 | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n

Family Tensions<\/h3>\n

Hankerson alleged that McDowell sent him text messages criticizing his decision to involve authorities. McDowell reportedly accused him of disrupting a family gathering and limiting Knight\u2019s time with her children and grandchildren.<\/p>\n

McDowell allegedly told Hankerson that he could visit anytime but insisted Knight was content and well cared for. He warned that bringing police or social service agencies could disturb her peace, urging Hankerson to prioritize her comfort over intervention.<\/p>\n

Knight\u2019s Past Statements on Marriage<\/h3>\n

Despite Hankerson\u2019s concerns, Knight has previously spoken positively about her marriage. In a 2022\u00a0Closer Weekly<\/em>\u00a0interview, she credited their lasting relationship to shared faith. \u201cYou have to always know that the Lord is going to make a way. We put him first,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

In 2019, she celebrated their anniversary on Instagram, writing, \u201cMy life is so much better with you in it. \u2018You\u2019re the best thing that ever happened to me.\u2019 Happy Anniversary babe!\u00a0\"\u2764\ufe0f\"\"\ud83d\ude18\"\u201d<\/p>\n

Health Scare and Recovery<\/h3>\n

Hankerson\u2019s allegations came after a separate health incident in March 2025, when Knight was hospitalized shortly before a scheduled performance at the Florida Theatre in Jacksonville. Emergency responders treated her, and her show was canceled, shocking fans.<\/p>\n

Florida Theatre President Numa Saisselin assured concertgoers that tickets would remain valid for a rescheduled date and praised fans for their understanding. Knight returned home to North Carolina to recover, leaning on McDowell during her recuperation.<\/p>\n

Focus on Rest and Recovery<\/h3>\n

Back home, Knight focused on resting with McDowell by her side. Fans continue to send support, hopeful for her safe return to the stage.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  Shanga Hankerson, son of music icon Gladys Knight, has accused her husband, William McDowell, of elder abuse. He claims the 81-year-old singer is being overworked despite signs of declining … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":34196,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34195","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34195","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=34195"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34195\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34197,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34195\/revisions\/34197"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/34196"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=34195"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=34195"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=34195"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}