The latest development in the Mindy McCready saga is that her ex-boyfriend, Billy McKnight — who is also the father of her missing son Zander — spoke with the ‘Today’ show about McCready’s past, their son and his recent communication with both of them. Though there is no warrant out for McCready’s arrest, a judge did issue an ‘emergency’ order on Thursday to have the boy brought back to Florida, regardless of what state he’s currently in.

Though McKnight wasn’t quick to speak ill of his ex, he did admit when pushed that he doesn’t believe she will be a fit mother “until she completes the case plan.” Given McCready’s past with public drug and alcohol abuse, suicide attempts and a month in jail for violating her probation, McKnight admitted he worries she might hurt herself.

“I pray to God that she doesn’t,” he said. “It does give me concern. I don’t want her to hurt herself, and I certainly don’t want my son to live a life without his mother.” As for McCready’s accusations that her mother has been abusing her 5-year-old son, McKnight sees them as entirely unfounded.

“I’ve never seen anything that would lead me to believe that at all,” he said. McKnight has unsupervised visitation with his son four nights a week, despite being charged in 2005 with attempted murder for assaulting McCready. Because of his own past with drugs and alcohol, McKnight seems hopeful that McCready could have another chance, if only she would do what’s right and take it.

“We have gone through this in the past,” he said, “and there’s people out there that can help you, and if you take that help you can get back on track … I’ve been through it.” McKnight, who spoke with McCready and Zander over the phone and through texts this week, assured the ‘Today’ show, saying that his son sounded fine.

“I think he misses me,” he said. “He’s been down here for four years and I haven’t seen him in a couple weeks … but he did sound healthy and OK. He wasn’t crying or scared.”

Watch Billy McKnight on the ‘Today’ Show (Segment Starts at 3:08)

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