Overview

• Shanga Hankerson formally accused William McDowell of elder abuse and lodged a complaint with the North Carolina Department of Human Services over his mother’s touring schedule
• Hankerson pointed to incidents including onstage 'zoning out,' teleprompter missteps, a late-night hotel wandering episode and difficulty forming sentences as signs of cognitive decline
• State caseworkers reportedly visited Knight’s home earlier this month to assess her welfare following the complaint
• Through her publicist Knight said she is “healthy and happy” and plans to resume the second leg of The Queens! tour in September
• McDowell has not publicly addressed the accusations and advocates say the dispute underscores challenges in balancing aging performers’ autonomy with safeguarding their well-being