Gladys Knight faces DHS probe as son accuses husband

Gladys Knight’s public standing as a veteran soul icon was tested this week as her son accused her husband of mental and financial abuse and a North Carolina Department of Human Services inquiry was opened into her care, even as Knight continues to perform on The Queens Tour with Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan and Stephanie Mills. Knight, 81, says she is healthy and happy and that her health and performances have been misrepresented, while her son, Shanga Hankerson, 49, argues that the touring schedule is harmful and that decisions about her well-being have been driven by her husband, William McDowell, who is 33 years younger than she is.

Hankerson described to a popular entertainment outlet a pattern he says has emerged over several years, including incidents of memory lapses and disorientation during performances and at least one New Year’s episode he characterizes as a sign of declining cognitive health. He also recounted an event in which Knight reportedly wandered away from a hotel, prompting concern from those around her. He said he has filed a complaint with North Carolina’s Department of Human Services, and that case workers visited Knight’s Buncombe County home the day...