Kehlani accused of being in a 'cult' amid custody battle. How the singer responded to the allegations.
Kehlani is in the middle of a child custody battle — and wild allegations are being waged.
The “After Hours” singer has responded to the “incredibly hurtful, inaccurate, inappropriate, and simply untrue” accusations, including that Kehlani, who uses she/they pronouns, is part of a “cult.” Their ex Javaughn Young-White also spoke out, slamming a “factually incorrect” media narrative that’s grown from his legal filing for sole custody of their daughter, 5-year-old Adeya Nomi.
What’s happening?
Kehlani and Young-White, a guitarist, welcomed a daughter together in March 2019. By 2021, they were no longer together but were happily co-parenting. On an episode of Facebook Watch’s Pride On! Kehlani & Larray's Excellent Pride Ride that same year, Kehlani said they were “really close friends” and “super supportive” of each other.
On Aug. 5, People obtained Young-White’s custody filing in which he alleged that Kehlani is in “a cult” and the leader — who has “numerous accusations of committing sexual assault” against women and young girls — convinced her that Young-White is a danger to their daughter.
In the filing, Young-White claimed he’s been prohibited from seeing the girl. He alleged that Kehlani leaves the child with “random strangers” from the cult, including the leader, who has performed “religious ceremonies” on Adeya. The child sleeps in bed with cult members and takes baths with one female member, called “Messiah,” while the woman is under the influence of psychedelic drugs, he claimed. Young-White also said in the documents that he was “physically restrained and threatened by members of the ‘cult’” when he attempted to pick up the child.
Young-White’s goal legally is to establish paternity. He said Adeya “was born through a home birth orchestrated by” the alleged cult and his name is not on her birth certificate. He wants to be added to the birth certificate and ultimately have full custody of the child as well as collect child support from Kehlani.
What has Kehlani said?
On Aug. 6, Kehlani spoke out in a statement on Instagram.
“I strongly deny any claims that I have put my child in harm’s way, or left my child alone with anyone deemed dangerous or unsafe,” they wrote. “I also do not align with any of the allegations made against my former religious community that have been stated in the media.”
Kehlani, who previously said they practice Santeria, which fuses Catholicism with Afro-Caribbean traditions, went on to say, “I have always taken great care to ensure that my child remains protected and safe at all times. My child and my commitment to motherhood have always been my sole driving forces in this life and will always remain so.”
She called the situation a “legal, private, familial matter” and said there would be no further comment while the legal process plays out.
At almost the same time, Young-White posted a statement on Instagram saying that his filing was “incomplete” and not authorized, blaming his legal team, which he said he’s since severed ties with.
Young-White then took TMZ to task for a story stating that Kehlani was involved in a “sex cult.” He said he never said that, about Santeria or otherwise, and called it “factually incorrect.” He called it “disgusting” for the outlet to “exploit a child’s image like that.” He also denied the outlet’s claim that he and Kehlani had been ordered by the court to participate in mediation. He called for TMZ to issue a “formal retraction and apology.”
Young-White said he didn’t need to “paint an unfair image of my co-parent for my justifiable feelings to be respected by the court of law.” He promised that an amended complaint would follow.
How is Chris Brown involved?
As Kehlani’s drama with their ex has played out, they riled up fans by appearing in a photo with controversial performer Brown. On Aug. 4, Brown posted a selfie of the two of them with the caption “Twin” to Instagram. Kehlani’s fans were quick to resurface Brown’s attack on them after they attempted suicide in 2016. Brown wrote a scathing social media post at the time suggesting that Kehlani was looking for “sympathy.”
What’s next for Kehlani?
As the case continues to play out — potentially with mediation — the singer said she’ll “be taking space for my own personal well-being and, most importantly, for the well-being of my child” amid these headline-making allegations.
Kehlani will also be gearing up for a tour. Their latest album, Crash, was just released on June 21, and their “Crash World Tour” kicks off in Minneapolis on Sept. 4.
