SURVIVOR

Beyoncé’s Mom Reveals How Singer Responded to Her Cancer News

Tina Knowles, 71, has revealed her secret cancer battle.

Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles, revealed her private battle with cancer in an interview with Gayle King on CBS Mornings. The 71-year-old was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer after doctors found two tumors during a mammogram appointment. The fashion designer said that her daughters—Beyoncé, 43, and Solange, 38—supported her through the ordeal by trying to lift her spirits and making her smile. “I was nervous,” Knowles told King. “And so they started just joking with me.” For example, at one point, Solange started playing viral videos surrounding the word “demure.” Knowles explained that her daughter’s efforts touched her: “I start laughing. I get out of my head... Then I said, ‘I’m just so happy that y’all are here.’” Although she recovered from cancer, Knowles acknowledged that she faced significant hurdles through her journey. “It’s about God walking with you into something and protecting you,” Knowles said through tears. “And I went in there feeling just like God has got me.” Knowles also disclosed that her cancer might have been detected earlier had she not postponed her mammogram. Her doctors indicated that if she had followed the recommended screening schedule—typically every one to two years for women over 55—it could have been caught at Stage 0 rather than Stage 1.