Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles, got candid about her complicated relationship with her ex-husband, Mathew Knowles, in a tell-all book that hit shelves on Tuesday.
Tina opened up about rekindling her romance with Mathew months after they split in 2009, when his affair with Alexsandra Wright was discovered.
The ultimate betrayal
After finding out that he was expecting a baby with the actress, Tina shared that she became “numb” while she grappled with his betrayal.
“In the aftermath of that explosion, I kept pace with my life, as I had now for years, sticking to my routine and allowing work to numb and carry me,” she wrote in her memoir, titled Matriarch.
She then fell back into a relationship with her estranged husband just months later while visiting New York City, admitting that Mathew had “presented himself for me to hold on to in my disorientation.”
© WireImage“He’d changed after new counseling,” the 71-year-old wrote. “I didn’t believe him, but he was persistent, proved he’d gotten help, and as he courted me, I found myself falling in love again. The magnetic pull between us, this cosmic cord I had tried to cut so many times, was stronger than ever.”
Tina added that their “bond seemed stronger because we were sneaking” but they “knew the kids would be so mad at us if they found out we were together again.” The pair had welcomed Beyoncé in September 1981, and Solange in June 1986.
The truth comes out
© WireImageTheir secret came to a head on Mother’s Day when she finally revealed their affair to their daughters, who felt betrayed by the news.
The mother of two said that while Beyoncé “nodded solemnly”, her youngest daughter “exploded” at her for letting herself get caught up again.
“Beyoncé was more understanding than Solange, who I know was just being protective of me,” Tina wrote. “They each loved their dad in different ways, and I sometimes felt my youngest was so much like her dad that she felt his moments of failing on a soul-deep level.”
Calling it quits
© WireImageThe matriarch called it quits with Mathew for good in 2010 when he welcomed his daughter Koi with his mistress, TaQoya Branscomb. Their divorce was finalized in 2011.
“I clearly knew my relationship with Mathew was unhealthy, and it was the fear of going it alone that kept me stuck,” the business mogul said. “I had been avoiding Mathew lately, afraid to cut the cord, and he had retaliated by seeing another woman.”
Tina shared that her marriage to Mathew was full of betrayal from the very beginning.
© Arnold Turner“There were already problems in our marriage that first year,” she shared. “The marriage was deteriorating faster than I could possibly find ways or even reasons to make it work.” “I had gotten used to these extremes — incredibly joyous half the time as we shared life’s adventure, then being disgusted and heartsick over how brazen his cheating could get,” she added.
Both of Beyoncé’s parents moved on, with Tina marrying actor Richard Lawson in 2015 and Mathew tying the knot with former model Gena Avery in 2013. Sadly, Tina and Richard split in July 2023 and finalized their divorce in August 2024.
To learn more about Tina’s health battle, see below…
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