Tina Knowles Sparks Debate After Backing Kelly Rowland Amid Cannes Film Festival Security Altercation.
Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles, has stepped forward to defend Kelly Rowland following the recent red carpet dispute at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
During the premiere of the French film Marcello Mio on Tuesday, May 21, tensions rose as the singer and actress clashed with a security guard while making her way up the red carpet to the theater.
In a swift show of support, Knowles voiced her solidarity with Rowland, whom she has cherished as a daughter figure since Rowland moved in with the Knowles family at age 11 during the inception of Destiny’s Child.
“And there she goes again! @kellyrowland radiates beauty, class, and grace as she glides across yet another carpet! Sipping Champagne and embracing her fabulous life,” captioned Knowles, 70, alongside a video of Rowland at another Cannes event on Wednesday.
Rowland chimed in, “This just proves that one setback doesn’t hold me back! Onwards to greater and grander things,” referencing the red carpet incident from two days prior.
Page Six hired lip reader Jeremy Freeman to transcribe a video capturing the incident, which seemingly initiated when a female security guard stepped on the train of Rowland’s gown, to which Rowland calmly responded, ‘Don’t worry.’
The French woman appeared to react fervently to the Say My Name star, who even turned back to assert her point as she ascended the remaining steps.
Although the exact exchange remains unclear, Rowland seemed to retort, ‘Don’t talk to me like that. You’re not my mother. I told you not to talk to me like that.’ A male security guard intervened to inquire about the situation as the woman gestured for Rowland to move along from the red carpet steps.
“You still don’t talk to me like that!” she reiterated one last time before proceeding into the theater.
The 43-year-old Atlanta, Georgia native maintained that she was simply asserting herself.
“The woman knows what happened. I know what happened,” she stated. “I have boundaries, and I stand by them. That’s it.”
She added, “There were other women on that carpet who didn’t quite look like me, and they weren’t scolded, pushed, or told to leave.”
The tense encounter reportedly stemmed from staff members allegedly exhibiting aggression, which eventually led Rowland to her breaking point.
According to an insider speaking to DailyMail.com, “The people assigned to assist stars on the red carpet were being aggressive, and Kelly was trying to overlook it.”
In a display of grace, the Talk A Good Game star took to Instagram following the premiere and red carpet incident to express gratitude for the invitation and acknowledge the glam team behind her stunning red gown ensemble.
Knowles’ unwavering support for the Can’t Nobody performer isn’t surprising, given her longstanding bond with Rowland, whom she helped raise from the age of 11 when Rowland moved in with the Knowles family.
Rowland quickly adopted the affectionate moniker ‘Mama T’ for Beyoncé’s mother, Celestine Ann Beyonce, during the time when her then-husband, Matthew Knowles, was instrumental in forming Destiny’s Child, managing the group, and securing their record deal.
In a poignant open letter published by Time magazine in 2015, Knowles expressed, “I gave birth to two of you, but I have four incredible daughters,” acknowledging Beyoncé, her younger sister Solange, Rowland, and her niece Angela Beyincé.
Besides Beyoncé, Rowland was the only other original member of Destiny’s Child, starting with the group in 1990.
LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett were part of the lineup when Destiny’s Child signed their record deal with Columbia Records in 1997.
However, both Roberson and Luckett departed from the group after attempting to break ties with Matthew Knowles’ management, citing favoritism toward Knowles and Rowland.
By the early 2000s, Roberson and Luckett were replaced by Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin, but Franklin left the group after a brief stint, leaving Destiny’s Child as a trio.
During their tenure, Destiny’s Child released five studio albums between 1998 and 2004, achieving global sales exceeding 60 million records as of May 2024.
