Beyoncé and Solange‘s powerhouse mom, Tina Knowles, is “taking a moment,” and it is not to launch a business, write a memoir, or design an entire Destiny’s Child tour wardrobe. Last July, everything screeched to a halt when Knowles, 71, was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer. And now, in a rare and raw moment of vulnerability, she’s sharing her story with an urgent call to action for women everywhere.
Speaking with PEOPLE about their world’s most beautiful issue, Tina Knowles opens up for the first time about the diagnosis that shook her world and how it nearly went undetected. “I forgot that I didn’t go to get my test two years before I thought I had,” she admits. “Because Covid came, they canceled me and said they’d call when testing started again. I just assumed I’d already done it.”
A Wake-Up Call from the Matriarch
Tina’s revelation comes as she releases her deeply personal new memoir, “Matriarch,” and just months after launching the Cécred haircare line with Beyoncé.
“I struggled with whether I would share that journey [in the book] because I’m very private,” she says. “But I think there’s a lot of lessons in it for other women. You must go get your test.”
Beyoncé, Solange, and the Power of a Sister Circle
When Tina broke the news to her daughters, it was less of a meltdown and more of a mission. Beyoncé, 43, stayed calm and strategic. Solange, 38, went full warrior mode. And bonus daughters Kelly Rowland and niece Angie Beyince showed up with unshakable love and support.
“My girls became my team,” Tina writes in “Matriarch.” A team any woman would want in her corner.
© GettyAnd while Tina doesn’t carry the BRCA gene (the one linked to breast and ovarian cancers), her ex-husband, Mathew Knowles, does. He also successfully battled stage 1 cancer. So, this health conversation is very much a family affair.
Stage 1, But Make It Early
Tina is one of the lucky ones. She caught her cancer at stage 1, but it could’ve been caught even earlier. “I didn’t know there was a stage 0. I could have caught this at stage 0 if I hadn’t missed my mammogram.”
That’s why she’s so passionate now about sounding the alarm. Because the biggest mistake wasn’t the diagnosis, it was the delay.
© Getty ImagesStill Fly, Still Fabulous
Post-surgery (which included a breast reduction), Knowles says she’s not just cancer-free, she’s thriving. “I’m healthier, eating better, I lost weight. I want to show people you can go through that and still be fly.”
In true Tina Knowles fashion, she’s not using her experience to scare women. She’s using it to empower them. To say, “Hey, I see you juggling everything. But don’t forget you in the process.”
Let This Be Your Reminder
Tina Knowles didn’t have a family history, symptoms, or a missed appointment. That’s it. And for many women, that’s the difference between a close call and a catastrophic outcome.
“What scares me now is not making the best of every day that I have left in this life,” she says.
© Getty Images for LACMASo, take this message from a woman who’s raised icons, survived heartbreak, built an empire, and beat cancer. Don’t skip the mammogram.
And if you’ve already skipped it? Reschedule it. Now.
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