Tina Knowles, the mother to US singer Beyonce has publicly shared her experience with Breast Cancer diagnosis.
Tina Knowles is no stranger to building empires. The entrepreneur, fashion designer, and talent manager has long been the stylish force behind her daughters Beyoncé and Solange shaping not just their careers, but the very DNA of pop culture.
But in July 2024, the certified matriarch found herself facing a different kind of battle. One that didn’t involve red carpets, designer gowns, or rehearsals.
It was in a quiet exam room, during a routine mammogram appointment, where Tina learned she had stage 1 breast cancer.
But things didn’t go as smoothly as planned. Post-surgery, Tina developed an infection that made recovery difficult and nearly sidelined her from attending the Glamour Women of the Year Awards later that year.
“It was rough. I was in so much pain, and I really thought I wouldn’t make it to that event. But I said to myself girl, if you can raise Beyoncé and Solange, you can get up and put on that dress.” Tina candidly shared.
And she did. With elegance, as always.
“I had absolutely no symptoms,” Tina shared in an interview. “No pain, no lump, nothing to make me think something was wrong.” She’d been delaying her mammogram since the pandemic, a reality many women can relate to. “I kept saying I’d go. Life just kept getting in the way. But thank God I finally did.”
That decision may have saved her life.
Doctors found two tumors in her left breast. One was benign. The other wasn’t. In August, she underwent a lumpectomy to remove the cancer, and in the same breath, opted for a breast reduction a decision she described as both practical and empowering. “I figured if I’m already going under, I might as well do something that makes me feel better about my body too. I’ve been wanting it for a while.”
Throughout this chapter, her daughters were her lifeline. “They were amazing. So supportive, so present,” Tina said. “Before the surgery, they were cracking jokes and keeping things light. That meant the world to me.”
It wasn’t just Beyoncé and Solange. Tina leaned on her close-knit circle cousin Angie Beyincé, honorary daughter Kelly Rowland, and a few trusted friends. “When you’re going through something like cancer, you realize who your people are. Who shows up. Who sits with you, prays with you, brings soup and makes you laugh when you don’t even feel like smiling.”
Tina also hopes her story will spark action, especially among women of color, who statistically face more aggressive forms of breast cancer and are often diagnosed later.
“The thing is, I don’t have any family history of breast cancer,” she emphasized. “I didn’t test positive for the BRCA gene. It just happened. That’s why screenings are so important. Don’t assume you’re safe just because it doesn’t run in your family.”
In her memoir The Matriarch, she writes candidly about the experience not to dwell on the pain, but to pull back the curtain on what strength actually looks like. “Strength isn’t just being fierce on the outside. It’s allowing yourself to be vulnerable, to ask for help, to rest.”
Tina’s journey is deeply personal, but her willingness to talk about it out loud feels like a wide open door into the world of the A-list celebrity family. And a whole lot welcoming, full of change. The kind that happens when Black women, so often expected to carry everyone else, finally turn that care inward.
“I didn’t share this for sympathy… I shared it because maybe it’ll help someone else stop putting it off.” The fashion icon says as she emphasizes the importance of early screening.
That’s the energy Tina Knowles is carrying into this new chapter a little lighter, a little softer, and a whole lot more intentional.
And whether she’s managing talent, designing a new collection, or sitting front row at a Beyoncé concert, one thing’s clear: Mama T is still running the show. Just this time, with a reminder to all of us even the healthiest, strongest of us all need checkups.
by hannie petra
