Javan Young White says He expressed regret over his choice of words in the filing he filed in his custody suit against Kehlani, claiming Friday that his former attorney filed the complaint “without my consent.”
The complaint included allegations that Kehlani was a member of a cult. Young-White's statement comes days after he and Kehlani criticized TMZ for its coverage of their custody battle over their daughter Adia.
“These documents contain general recollections of my initial consultation with the above-mentioned representative,” he wrote on Friday. “They are presented in optional language that I did not agree to. I apologize that they were included.”
The initial filing described Kehlani’s ties to Santeria, an Afro-Caribbean religion based on Yoruba and Catholic beliefs, as part of a cult. (TMZ described it as a sex cult.) The initial filing also alleged that a former priest of the religious group, who had been accused of sexual abuse, was in the care of his daughter.
In a statement Friday, Young-White said the information about the priest was being circulated by “parties trying to use the allegations and language to escalate their own conflicts within the church,” and that his daughter was “no longer affiliated” with the church when the allegations occurred.
“I was still deeply saddened by the direct care of my child. From my perspective, I was being informed of the consequences of making troubling decisions that could have ended very differently,” he wrote.
A representative for Kehlani did not immediately respond. Rolling StoneRequest for comment on Young White's new statement.
The initial lawsuit alleged that Kehlani had undergone a “home birth” by a religious cult, and blamed the home birth as the reason Young-White was not listed on her birth certificate. The lawsuit also alleged that the cult controlled Kehlani’s “actions and behavior, including when it came to raising our daughter.”
“As a father, I never would have expected such serious allegations to be so casually dismissed. I still believe my distress was proportionate to the information I received from trusted third parties,” he wrote Friday. “However, I deeply regret and apologize for any role I played in perpetuating these allegations.”
Kahlani She broke her silence This week, she said she had “always taken care to ensure the protection and safety of her child”, and “vehemently” denied that she had left Adia “alone with anyone who was considered dangerous or unsafe”.
“My child and my commitment to motherhood have always been and always will be my only driving force in this life,” she said at the time. Kehlani ended her statement by saying she would be “taking space” for her and Adia’s safety and would deal with the matter privately.
