Marc Lamont Hill Fires Back After Brian McKnight Calls Him Out: ‘You Are an A**hole’

Marc Lamont Hill has publicly responded to Brian McKnight after the R&B singer aimed at him during a recent appearance on Anton Daniels’ podcast.

During the Daniels interview, McKnight addressed past commentary about him and singled out Hill, saying he would “destroy” the academic and media personality.

“I would destroy that dude,” McKnight said. “Not physically. You don’t even know me, but you called me an a**hole?” McKnight said, as Daniels jumped in to label Hill a “pseudo-intellectual.”

Hill responded on The Joe Budden Podcast, dismissing the idea of a feud while doubling down on his characterization of McKnight.

“I don’t remember us saying nothing that crazy about him,” Hill said. “I don’t remember calling him an a**hole, but he is an a**hole. Let me be clear: Brian McKnight, you are an a**hole.”

Hill explained that his assessment wasn’t based on opinion or internet discourse, but on firsthand professional experience. “I’m basing that on having interviewed Brian McKnight lots of times,” Hill said. “You were rude and nasty to everybody on my crew and my team. You were nice to me, but the measure of being an a**hole isn’t how you treat the host—it’s how you treat everybody around them.”

The exchange adds to the scrutiny surrounding McKnight following his wide-ranging appearance on Daniels’ podcast, where he revisited his first marriage, his children, and ongoing family disputes.

In that interview, McKnight said he married his first wife because of religious pressure after she became pregnant and admitted he “was never in love” with her. He also claimed that he remained in the marriage solely “for the kids” and later suggested his children were “poisoned” against him following the divorce.

Those remarks sparked renewed backlash online, adding fuel to the fire of comments made by McKnight’s eldest son, Brian McKnight Jr., who accused his father of emotional unavailability and long-term harm. McKnight has not directly responded to his son’s statements.

Hill addressed none of the family disputes directly on The Joe Budden Podcast, focusing instead on McKnight’s conduct behind the scenes. “It’s not a beef. We ain’t got no issues,” Hill said. “You’re just an a**hole.”

As of this writing, McKnight has not publicly answered Hill’s comments.