Gospel singer Kirk Franklin has publicly spoken about his relationship with his son, Kerrion Franklin, after a phone call between the two in which the singer can be heard cursing and threatening his son was leaked last week.

In an interview with Tamron Hall, Kirk Franklin accompanied by his wife, Tammy Collins, provided more details about the relationship with his 33-year-old son.

The American singer, 49, opened up about the “toxic, turbulent and challenging” relationship and said that many people “have privately known of the tension and the challenges that we have been going through as a family”.

Franklin said Kerrion had been “in and out” of therapy and counselling since he was a teenager but that “when he became a grown man, his disrespect became more aggressive,” and admitted this had caused them to stop taking to each other for a couple of years.

“I love my son. And I have tried very privately to keep all of the areas that we've been working with him and counselling,” he said. “I respect Kerrion. I'm not his equal though, I’m his dad. And when you talk to me, especially about things that you say that you want from me, I can't hear you when you are extremely aggressive when we're communicating,” he continued.

Following the leaked conversation on Instagram, many people took to social media to express their disappointment at the 12-time Grammy award-winning singer. In response, Franklin said “people have every right to be disappointed” and that he was disappointed with himself for using such language.

Although he admitted he was very shocked to find out Kerrion had been recording their conversations, he said he was never going to give up on the relationship.

“I'm going to keep trying, while still continuing to admit that I am an imperfect man. Fighting to serve a perfect God.”

You can watch the full interview here.