Motown legend Gladys Knight has broken her silence amid fan concern over her appearing ‘confused’ on stage at recent shows. The singing sensation, 82, known to her fans as the Empress of Soul, has been busy on tour this year, performing both solo shows and co-headlining gigs with Smokey Robinson. However, fans have raised concerns over her behavior on stage, with video clips from her recent concerts showing the star staring off to the side and letting her backup singers carry the performance. During her show at the Hollywood Bowl on July 25, the Midnight Train to Georgia hitmaker turned her back on the crowd and began walking off the stage, shaking off a backup singer’s attempt to stop her. A source told TMZ that some people working her tour worry that she is ‘showing symptoms of dementia,’ though her husband and manager, William McDowell – who was accused by Knight’s son of elder abuse last year – told the outlet she has not yet been evaluated by a doctor. Amid the ongoing concern, Knight released a statement to TMZ on Thursday announcing that she will be ‘easing into fewer performances’ going forward. The Daily Mail has reached out to Knight’s representatives for comment. Motown legend Gladys Knight, 82, has broken her silence amid fan concern over her appearing ‘confused’ on stage at recent shows; Pictured in 2024Knight’s full statement read: ‘After much soul searching I’ve decided that I will be easing into fewer performances while focusing on transitioning into the next stage of my career and life moving forward.”I’ll be spending more time on projects with my husband and visiting with my grandbabies and am looking forward to this new era,’ she stated.’I’d like to take a moment, in advance, to thank all my fans over this last three quarters of a century for making a little girl’s dream come true and supporting her every step of the way.”I am immensely grateful to all of you and send my eternal love back to you. I hope to see your smiling faces out and about and on the road. God bless all of you and hope to see you soon.’It comes after her husband, who is reportedly 33 years younger than Knight, told TMZ that the star still wants to perform but has good and bad days, amid concerns from fans that she is being ‘forced’ to take the stage. ‘No one is ever gonna make me say, “My wife is well,” but all she wants to do is sing,’ he told the outlet. McDowell also said that Knight has not been diagnosed with dementia, but that they will be going to the doctor in the future to evaluate whether she has the condition.Knight has tour dates scheduled through mid-November, but her husband said he will be closely watching her September 5 show to determine whether he should cancel her remaining dates. Fans have raised concerns over her behavior on stage, with clips from her recent concerts showing the star staring off to the side and trying to walk off stage; Seen performing in May Amid the ongoing concern, Knight released a statement to TMZ on Thursday announcing that she will be ‘easing into fewer performances’ going forward; Pictured in 2024 A source told TMZ that some people working her tour worry she is ‘showing symptoms of dementia,’ though her husband and manager, William McDowell, told the outlet she has not yet been evaluated by a doctor; The two seen in 2018 Her husband, who is 33 years younger than Knight, told the outlet that the hitmaker still wants to perform, amid concerns from fans that she is being ‘forced’ to take the stage; Seen 2018 The singing sensation has been busy on tour this year, performing both solo shows and co-headlining gigs with Smokey Robinson; Seen with Smokey and Jon Batiste in February Her husband also said he is building a facility near their North Carolina home where his wife can continue performing without having to travel. People involved with Knight’s tour have reportedly called the situation ‘tragic’ while speaking with TMZ.A source also told the outlet that people spoke with Knight’s team before her Hollywood Bowl show and said it was ‘not suitable’ for her to be on stage.The insider added that it’s ‘shameful’ the star is being compelled to perform.Several fans left Knight’s Detroit show early, according to TMZ, after she appeared exhausted and took a number of breaks off-stage. Billboard reviewed the singer’s Hollywood Bowl show from earlier this year, writing, ‘She is truly a one-of-a-kind singer, capable of both thrilling firepower and conversational ease, often in the same song. But she barely got through this show, and only by leaning heavily on her backup singers. Artists need to know when it’s time to bow out gracefully.’Last year Knight set the record straight after her son, Shanga Hankerson, publicly accused her husband of elder abuse.In response to Hankerson’s claim that McDowell is taking advantage of his mother, the hitmaker assured fans that she is just fine. Last year Knight’s son, Shanga Hankerson (pictured), publicly accused her husband of elder abuse; though Knight denied the allegations ‘I want my fans and those concerned to rest assured I am doing very well for someone who has been on stage for three quarters of a century, hard to believe, right?’ she told The Post.The seven-time Grammy winner continued: ‘I’m healthy and happy and visiting friends and family these last few months. I’m excited to get back on the road with my sisters and on stage with The Queens Tour. See you soon.’She also noted that her ‘health and performances have been misrepresented.’Her statement came after Hankerson filed a complaint with North Carolina’s Department of Human Services.The year prior, her son told The Shade Room that his mother’s demanding tour schedule was ‘detrimental’ to her health.’I don’t want my mom out on tour on a tour bus wondering where she’s at,’ Hankerson said.In another interview, he told People: ‘I did my best to give [McDowell] the space to play the role of husband and do what was in my mom’s best interest, and he has not done that.”Why is she working? Why is she in this situation where she’s being made to believe that she has to work like this? That’s really my issue with it,’ he explained. The music icon is known for her classic hits, including Midnight Train To Georgia, Help Me Make It Through The Night, James Bond theme Licence To Kill, The Way We Were, and You’re The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me; Pictured circa 1964Knight’s reps, however, told the outlet that her team is ‘greatly saddened by Shanga’s unfounded allegations’ and that he has ‘had no substantial contact with her.’In response, Hankerson called the statement ‘inaccurate’ and claimed to have been ‘purposefully kept in a position of having minimal access’ to his mom. Knight and McDowell have been married for 24 years. The music icon is known for her classic hits, including Midnight Train To Georgia, Help Me Make It Through The Night, James Bond theme Licence To Kill, The Way We Were, and You’re The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me.