Beyoncé and Solange’s shut bond in the present day is the results of a serious, albeit taboo for its time, resolution made by their mom, Tina Knowles, once they had been a lot youthful.
Throughout latest appearances selling her new memoir, “Matriarch,” on “CNN Information Central” and “The Oprah Podcast,” the 71-year-old mom and grandmother opened up about how she as soon as needed to take her daughters to remedy to enhance their relationship.
As Beyoncé, who’s 43 now, reached the tween years and joined a women’ group along with her buddies, Knowles observed a divide forming between the sisters. Solange, who’s 38 now, would wish to take part, and when Beyoncé’s buddies would reject her and toss lower than sort remarks her manner, the large sister wouldn’t come to her protection.
“I used to be terrified when Beyoncé circled 10. She may need been 10 or 11, and she or he was within the singing group. And the youngsters would say to Solange every single day, ‘Be quiet, Solange,’ as a result of she would attempt to choreograph and, you already know, she wished to be concerned. She bossed it, too. They usually didn’t need her concerned,” Knowles recalled whereas on CNN, per Folks journal.
“After which I began noticing that Beyoncé would enable them to speak to her like that or she would say, ‘OK, Mother, are you able to get Solange out of right here? As a result of she is’ — and I’m like, ‘Wait a minute, that is her home, and also you’ve obtained to be good to her.’ And I instructed her all of the issues, you already know, how essential it was for her,” she continued. “However lastly, I noticed that they weren’t listening, and I noticed a wall between them coming, and so I obtained them in remedy.”
At one level, Knowles stated whereas discussing the second additional with Oprah Winfrey, that issues escalated between the 2 sisters to the purpose of Solange taking Beyoncé’s stuff and the large sister rising more and more “imply.”
On the time, Knowles stated the choice to hunt out a therapist was thought of taboo, particularly amongst Black households, and she or he even confronted criticism from the women’ father, ex-husband Matthew Knowles, who thought the women might have been “too younger” for remedy.
“And I’m like, ‘I’m not asking. I’m going to seek out someone.’ And I discovered this glorious therapist, baby therapist,” she stated whereas on CNN. “And it’s humorous as a result of he instructed Beyoncé all of the issues I had instructed her, however she listened from him, regardless that she hated remedy. She hated going. Solange cherished remedy. She cherished speaking and, you already know, expressing herself.”
“And the result was nice,” she added. “It was actually nice as a result of they’d been tremendous tight since.”
The revelation into the Knowles family comes simply days earlier than Nationwide Psychological Well being Month is ready to start in Could, and at a time when charges of Black households looking for the psychological well being providers they want stay decrease than their white counterparts. Whereas 40% of white Individuals are prone to search the interventions they want, solely about 25% of Black households do the identical, based on Mass Normal Brigham. Black households stay much less seemingly for a wide selection of causes, together with stigma, structural and systemic limitations to care, and inherited cultural beliefs round looking for assist.
Past that, there persists a scarcity of Black illustration within the discipline. Lower than 6% of psychologists are Black, based on the American Psychological Affiliation, and whereas roughly 70% of household therapists are white, 14% are Black. A number of teams and platforms have fashioned lately to assist handle the disparity, scale back the stigma, and bridge the hole, together with Remedy for Black Women and Black Therapists Rock.
It will possibly additionally take individuals like Knowles, unabashedly telling their tales and demonstrating the way it warrants reevaluation, even when communication between two events begins to undergo, as with Beyoncé and Solange. It doesn’t need to be drastic earlier than you telephone an expert. The mom opens up additional about her journey within the memoir “Matriach,” which was launched on April 22, 2025.
