Tina Knowles, the proud mom of Beyoncé and Solange, is getting real about a major life change — her divorce from actor Richard Lawson. In her new book, Matriarch, Tina shares the moment she decided to walk away from the 10-year marriage, and why it was the best thing she could’ve done for herself.
In Matriarch, Tina writes that in July 2023, when she was 69 years old, she simply “woke up” one day and knew her marriage “needed to end.”
“Richard has great qualities,” Tina says, “but I wanted to be happy. I didn’t feel loved, respected, or cherished.”
She said she had tried talking to Richard about her feelings “for some time,” but things didn’t change. So, she made the hard choice to file for divorce — not out of anger, but out of love for herself.
Tina says this divorce felt very different from her split with her first husband, Mathew Knowles, back in 2011. That time, she felt like she “was going to die.” But now?
“I made the decision with a heavy heart but totally without malice, and I have not lost a night of sleep over it.”
She wanted to prove that people could find love again later in life, but realized she was pressuring herself to stay in something that no longer felt right.
Since the divorce, Tina says she’s been thriving. She started focusing on “the things that bring me joy and security,” and building more confidence on her own. She now believes she can lead a fulfilled life, whether she’s in a relationship or not.
“I needed to choose myself,” she wrote.
After the news broke, Tina noticed a lot of negative online comments about her decision — many coming from women. It made her reflect on how society sometimes teaches women to stay quiet or endure in relationships that don’t feel right.
But not everyone was disappointed. At the wedding of Jay-Z’s mom, Tina ran into family friend Tyler Perry, who told her he was sad the marriage ended — but proud of her for choosing her own happiness.
“You’re setting an example,” he told her.
Tina isn’t just looking back — she’s also looking forward. Around the time her book came out, she revealed to PEOPLE that she’s seeing someone new.
“I am spending time with a friend,” she said with a smile. “He’s a very nice gentleman. We’ll see what happens.”
Tina’s new book, Matriarch, is all about her strength, her struggles, and her growth — and she hopes it helps other women know it’s never too late to choose yourself.
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