Kehlani's Ex, Javaughn Young-White, Denies Claims in Custody Filing, Focuses on 'Advocacy of My Child's Wellbeing'

The guitarist is clarifying how the language in his original filing came to be

• Javaughn Young-White is explaining how some of the claims in his controversial custody filing against Kehlani came to be

• Young-White claims he was misinformed on happenings in the singer's former church

• The guitarist claims his focus moving forward is advocating for his child, hinting at a future amended filing
  

Javaughn Young-White is clarifying his position after claiming he was misrepresented by previous counsel.

The guitarist — former partner of Kehlani with whom she shares 5-year-old daughter Adeya — shared a new statement on Instagram on Friday, Aug. 9. There, he claims that the July 24 filing requesting full custody of the former couple's daughter and visitation, "were submitted without my approval by my former representation."

"These documents contained general recollections from my initial consultation with my aforementioned rep. They were filed with choice language I didn't okay. I regret they were included," Young-White alleges.

Referencing the Regla de Ocha religion that Kehlani was previously part of, Young-White says he was misinformed about happenings within the church.

"Before filing, the information regarding Priest Neto and his church was circulated to me by parties of priority. I am now aware that these parties were attempting to use allegations and vocabulary to escalate their own disputes within the church. As of today, these parties no longer align with their allegations. Understandably, I was not aware of this at the time," he claims.

"When I was presented with the allegations against Neto and his church, my daughter was no longer affiliated. However, I was still deeply distressed about the direct care of my child. From my perspective, I was being told the consequences of alarming decision-making that could have ended quite differently."

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Related: Kehlani's Ex Javaughn Young-White Claims Singer Is in a 'Cult,' Files for Full Custody of 5-Year-Old Daughter

Acknowledging the “After Hours” singer and Adeya's time with the church, he alleges, "I advocated for my child's agency as I would about any sudden lifestyle shift or new parental custodians. I could not stop anything due to the intentional, ongoing state of my parental custody and documentation. I was disregarded."

Young-White claims that his previous counsel, who were responsible for the filing, moved forward despite the fact the filing was "never approved for submission."

"To be clear: the explicit wording of this account did not have my approval either. There are other concerns that encourage me to prioritize issues of custody and documentation," Young-White states.

"As a father, I could never have anticipated that such serious allegations would be so careless. I still believe my alarm was proportionate to the information I received from the trusted parties. However, I deeply regret and apologize for any role I played in perpetuating these claims. I hope Priest Neto, his family, and affected members of the church receive just restoration." 

"I am looking forward to continuing the advocacy of my child's wellbeing," he concludes.

Young-White's previous counsel did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

The guitarist's recent statement elaborates on claims made on Instagram on Tuesday, Aug. 6, which Kehlani later reshared on her Instagram Stories.

"I never said that I think Santería is a sex cult," Young-White clarified. "Nor did I say my daughter is in a sex cult. That's factually incorrect and I think it's disgusting that [the media] would exploit a child's image like that."

Later, Young-White leveled, "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 obstacle in ensuring my child's wellbeing."

The 29-year-old singer, who uses she/they pronouns, reshared Young-White's comments on her Instagram Stories. That same day, she released a statement in which she responded to claims that she'd put her daughter in danger.

"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," Kehlani wrote. "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," she continued. "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."

Kehlani said that this situation is a "legal, private, familial matter" and that she is now "taking space for my own personal well-being and, most importantly, for the well-being of my child."

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