Source: Ben Bern / Getty
Georgia authorities raided and shut down two of Gladys Knight’s Chicken And Waffles restaurants yesterday. The Georgia Department of Revenue was behind the raid. According to TMZ, the restaurants are run by her son, Shanga Hankerson. Knight says she lent her name to her son to open the restaurant. The Department of Revenue says that their investigation has nothing to do with the famous singer.
Apparently, the authorities are investigating Knight’s son.
“Shanga’s accused of stealing over 650,000 in both sales and withholding tax,” Josh Waites, a special investigator, told WSB-TV. “(With) penalties and interest, it’s up to over $1 million owed.”
Employees were ordered to leave the restaurant at the time of the raid. Attempts to arrest Hankerson were unsuccessful.
A spokesperson for Gladys Knight issued the following statement yesterday:
“Gladys Knight lent her name to her son’s restaurants in the Atlanta area, similar to a celebrity endorsement. Ms. Knight was not involved in any way with the operation of the restaurants and she is sure that her son and his business partners will rectify the situation. As always, her main concern is for her family’s well-being and she is making sure the family has the guidance they need to assess the situation and move forward.”
Source: In His Image Photography / In His Image Photography
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