On Monday, news broke that Javaughn Young-White, Kehlani’s ex-partner and father of their 5-year-old child Adeya Nomi, has filed a paternity petition seeking full custody. According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Young-White alleged that Kehlani’s involvement with a cult has negatively impacted their daughter’s upbringing.
On Tuesday, Kehlani issued a statement in response to the allegations:
“What has been published in the media over the past 24 hours is incredibly hurtful, inaccurate, inappropriate, and simply untrue. I wanted to take the time to ensure that I responded to these accusations from a calm and considered space rather than a reactive one.
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. I also do not align with any of the allegations made against my former religious community that have been stated in the media.
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.
This is who I am and what I have always been focused on.
This is a legal, private, familial matter that will be handled accordingly, and I will now be taking space for my own personal well-being and, most importantly, for the well-being of my child.
Thank you for your support and for respecting our privacy.
I will not be commenting further and will let the legal due process take place.”
Young-White also responded, clarifying his position:
I never said that I think Santeria is a sex cult. Nor did I say that my daughter is in a sex cult. That’s factually incorrect and I think it’s disgusting that TMZ would exploit a child’s image like that. Further, I have not been made aware of any court ordered mediation as of writing this per the account of TMZ. Personally, I would love for TMZ to justify to me, the father, how they came up with this narrative.
The TMZ article sensationalized aspects of what was said while simultaneously breaching my confidentiality. 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.
I do not need to paint an unfair image of my co-parent for my justifiable feelings to be respected by the court of law. This unfortunate trauma only increases the obstacles in ensuring my child’s wellbeing.
For now, I am hoping to clear the discrepancies made by TMZ. I hope to see a formal retraction and apology.
This situation remains delicate, and both parties have asked for privacy as the legal process unfolds.
