Kehlani has confirmed that they currently have full custody of their child, offering a rare update on their legal battle with ex-partner Javaughn Young-White during a recent appearance on The Breakfast Club.
“I have full custody,” Kehlani told Jess Hilarious when asked about the status of the case. When questioned about whether they remain in contact with Young-White, the singer replied simply, “No.”
The update comes after a highly publicized custody dispute last year, during which Young-White issued a statement criticizing TMZ for an article that suggested he believed Kehlani was involved in a cult. In his statement, he accused the outlet of misrepresenting his claims and violating his confidentiality.
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“The TMZ article sensationalized aspects of what was said while simultaneously breaching my confidentiality,” his statement read. “Further, the filing of my case was incomplete and did not have my authorization by error of counsel. I am no longer represented by the aforementioned counsel. There will be an amended filing soon which will illustrate the full range of my concern.”
Young-White maintained that he did not intend to portray “an unfair image” of Kehlani, even as he pursued sole custody of their daughter.
Kehlani strongly denied the allegations, describing them as “incredibly hurtful, inaccurate, inappropriate, and simply untrue.” Reflecting on that period, the singer said they followed their lawyer’s advice to remain silent while the case moved through the courts.
“I can bear anything attached to my name,” Kehlani said. “It might hurt. I might throw a little bit of a fit about it, but I’m an adult. I can bear that. When you see your child’s name attached to these things, your child’s photo next to certain words and certain verbiage, that’s a bit of a heartbreaker.”
The singer said what made the situation especially painful was seeing deeply personal family matters discussed publicly. Kehlani also addressed allegations suggesting inappropriate behavior toward their child, which they said stemmed from a “lighthearted conversation” with Young-White about a past-life reading.
“I’ve been silent, i’ve taken the public beating,” Kehlani wrote at the time. “I’ve been addressing all of these things where i should, in COURT. i’ve sat there and watched the public only have access to ONE SIDE of things. but THIS is where i absolutely draw the line.”
As for the cult-related claims, Kehlani described the episode as a difficult chapter but emphasized that the accusations were unfounded.
“Ultimately, the claims were false. It wasn’t true. He backtracked a lot,” the singer said.
