Gladys Knight’s son, Shanga Hankerson, has accused William McDowell, his mother’s husband, of elder abuse.
During an interview with The Shade Room, Hankerson, along with his ex-wife, Gloria, said that his mother continues to tour despite although she has alleged cognitive issues. In addition to the accusations, Hankerson has reportedly filed a complaint with the North Carolina Department of Human Services.
“I went and I hugged him and we hugged and he looked at me and he’s like ‘it’s so glad to see you.’ He said, ‘Shanga, it’s been so hard,’” recalled Hankerson meeting his mother’s longtime road manager, Larry Ward. “I have never seen Larry break down and cry like that…I said ‘Well, what is it, Larry?’ and he couldn’t put [it] into words.”
“The band played about two or three extra bars, and she zoned out. The background singers started singing, and that brought her back,” he continued. “They’re having to rewind the teleprompters because my mom is forgetting to look at them.
Although Knight has had trouble remembering things and her performances have suffered, Hankerson said that at his sentencing, “she came to speak for me and she couldn’t form complete sentences and coherent thoughts.” In 2021, he pleaded guilty to failing to remit payroll taxes.
Hankerson said McDowell claimed that Knight had “Sundowner’s Syndrome,” in text. He also said that she wanders away and gets confused.
“I don’t want my mom out on tour on a tour bus, wondering where she’s at. I don’t want that for her,” Hankerson expressed. ”That’s my mom, I truly love her. And don’t care about her ever working a second longer while she’s alive. The direction that she’s going in is pushing her to her departure, and I don’t want to see that.”
In September, Knight is slated to perform on the second leg of “The Queens! 4 Legends. 1 Stage,” with Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan, and Stephanie Mills.