top of page
Writer's pictureChinyere Ibeh

What’s Tea? The Rollercoaster Now Known as Javaughn Young-White and Kehlani — a Supposed Cult, Alleged Abuse, and a Complicated Co-Parenting Relationship and Custody Battle

Updated: Nov 4

The father of the “After Hours” singer’s daughter has something to get off his chest about their co-parenting relationship.

Kehlani and Javaughn Young-White
The couple dated from 2018 until 2019, resulting in the birth of their daughter in March 2019.

The relationship and custody battle between Kehlani and their ex, Javaughn Young-White, continues to unravel in the public eye. It all began with Young-White’s filing for custody becoming public.


What’s Happened with Young-White’s Initial Filing for Custody?

Last week, Young-White sought full custody of their five-year-old daughter, alleging that the “After Hours” singer held membership in a cult. In court documents obtained by Entertainment Weekly, Young-White alleged that the cult controlled “her actions and her behavior, including when it comes to the upbringing of our daughter.” 


An example of said behavior was when the cult’s leader, Neto, convinced Kehlani that he had a vision about Young-White. The alleged vision noted that Young-White was a danger to the couple’s daughter and that he would kill her. Due to this vision, Kehlani did not allow Young-White to see their daughter. 


That filing ends with Young-White seeking a name change for his daughter to Adeya Parrish Young-White as well as a copy of her birth certificate and social security card.


Kehlani later broke their silence on the original filing and its subsequent coverage. They released a statement to their Instagram story on Aug. 6, stating that the media’s coverage of the situation was not accurate or appropriate. They then directly respond to the allegations within Young-White’s filing,’


“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,” they said in their post. “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.”



It appears that for a moment, Young-White and the “Did I” singer agreed on the inaccurate media coverage of the filing. Young-White released a statement on his own within the same hour of Kehlani’s, demanding an apology and retraction from TMZ. The publication’s headline notes that the cult in question, Santeria, was a sex cult — which Young-White later denied.


“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,” Young-White wrote.


“Further, I have not been made aware of any court-ordered mediation as of writing per the account of TMZ. Personally, I would love for TMZ to justify me, the father, how they came up with this narrative,” Young-White continued. “The TMZ article sensationalized aspects of what was said while simultaneously breaching my confidentiality.”


He noted that the filing was incomplete and was sent off without his authorization due to an error with his legal team. Not only did he drop his initial legal team, but he also aims to have an amended filing that will “illustrate the full range” of his concerns. 


Things continue to get interesting as Kehlani was awarded temporary sole custody a couple of months ago and a restraining order against Young-White.


The Allegations of Abuse Come to the Forefront, Resulting in Kehlani Getting Sole Custody

Kehlani would take legal action against the father of their daughter after he allegedly smashed through a locked bedroom door.


According to court documents, Young-White had smashed through the locked door during a heated argument — one that stemmed from Kehlani allegedly questioning him about applying for public assistance. At the time, Young-White was living in the singer’s back house.

Kehlani and Javaughn Young-White
Kehlani and Young-White during the baby shower for their daughter (Photo Courtesy: marriedbiography.com)

Things escalated when Young-White allegedly broke into Kehlani’s room and began verbally assaulting them. He would allegedly blame them for their daughter’s birth and claimed that he was “trapped” and that his life was “ruined.” 


Kehlani alleged that his behavior and lifestyle posed a risk to their daughter’s life as their daughter often spent time in the back house with Young-White. The singer notes that Young-White would often spend his days smoking weed, using magic mushrooms and isolated himself in a room that they described as a “pigsty.” 


According to The Source Magazine, Kehlani reportedly asked Young-White to leave following the incident, which happened in June. They later checked the back house after his departure and found it littered with weed, food, trash and debris. He allegedly blocked and disappeared after the fight. Sometimes, he would allegedly pick up their daughter from school and leave the singer in the dark about their whereabouts.


The alleged incident in June was not the start of the alleged abuse as it dated back five years. The two-time Grammy nominee noted that whenever Young-White was agitated, he would wave his arms in the air and throw things while calling Kehlani horrible names.


Due to Kehlani’s allegations, a judge granted them a restraining order as well as temporary sole custody over the couple's daughter. Due to this, Young-White was not allowed within 100 yards of Kehlani and their daughter. 


Young-White Posts “Receipts” to Clear His Name and Pushes Back Against Kehlani’s Abuse Allegations

Following Young-White’s call for TMZ to retract their article about his initial filing, he posted screenshots of alleged text messages between himself and Kehlani.


He alleged that Kehlani “busted through her own door,” and that the abuse they alleged in their own filing was the abuse they inflicted on Young-White. 


“I BEGGED YOU to leave me alone. I BEGGED YOU that I didn’t want to speak. I RAN from your room into the backhouse. You followed me and barged through the door,” the text message read. “I said PLEASE leave me alone. Cause I knew what you were about to do. I said I AM PACKING. You KEPT COMING. YOU wanted us to be homeless in the morning.”


Another screenshot shows Young-White vowing to never speak privately with Kehlani again. He noted that any direct communication with the singer would be a liability due to their alleged “lying ability.”


“I’m asking to go no contact with you specifically because I’ve recognized a real pattern of different forms of abuse since I was 20 years old, freshly homeless, fleeing another dangerous situation to your couch at Sycamore Avenue,” the text read. 


Young-White also included his exchange with Kehlani’s ex-girlfriend, Kiara, alleging they cheated on her. He also alleged Kehlani falsely accused the person they cheated with of rape. 


The smoking gun of it all came when Young-White posted a screenshot of Kehlani allegedly saying they would retract their abuse allegations. This comes after Young-White offered Kehlani a chance to retract their statement before posted everything. 


“I’m calling you — I was in rehearsal. I can retract,” Kehlant allegedly wrote in the test messages.


Where are Things Now?

Kehlani’s temporary restraining order, which they filed for on Aug. 9, will last until the upcoming hearing in September. On top of not being able to go within 100 yards of Kehlani and the duo’s daughter, Young-White cannot travel outside of the state of California with their daughter. He cannot apply for passports or any travel-related documents nor can he have or buy firearms and ammunition.


Kehlani has not publicly spoken about the text messages, yet, as the Sept. 3 hearing for the temporary restraining order looms around the corner. 


29 views0 comments

Comments


bottom of page