Photo Credit:Monica Schipper/WireImage/Getty Images
Tina Knowles, mother to global superstars Beyoncé and Solange, has revealed her private battle with breast cancer in her newly released memoir Matriarch and in recent interviews. The 71-year-old fashion designer was diagnosed in July 2024, after rescheduling a mammogram she had missed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“My doctor told me I had breast cancer. A small tumor in my left breast that was cancerous; the larger tumor in my right breast was benign, but it would also have to go,” she wrote. Knowles was diagnosed with Stage 1A breast cancer and was assured her prognosis was good. “She said I was Stage 1A, assuring me my prognosis was good. The next step was to talk to an oncologist and a breast surgeon.”
Speaking emotionally during an appearance on CBS Mornings, she recalled the moment she received the diagnosis: “I was in disbelief… I’ve always tried to take care of myself.” Knowles explained that her delay in getting the mammogram may have affected how early the cancer could have been caught. “If I had gone for my mammogram, I would’ve got it at the zero stage,” she said. “Thank God, it was still very small, hadn’t spread. It was a very slow-spreading cancer.”
In her memoir, she reflected, “I had been through all of this stuff in life getting to be 70 years old, and now I’m gonna get cancer?” Despite the initial shock, her daughters stepped up with unwavering support. “My girls became my team,” she wrote, adding that Beyoncé “would find me the top specialist.”
Tina underwent surgery in August 2024, which included the removal of the cancerous tissue and a breast reduction. A second operation followed in September due to a hematoma, and she later battled a serious infection. “She insisted I put her on speaker during my consult,” Tina recalled of Beyoncé, praising her daughter’s attentiveness.
Recalling a special moment before surgery, Tina shared that her family gathered at the hospital, with Solange playing TikTok videos and the family singing “Walk With Me,” a cherished hymn. “I went in there feeling, just like God’s got me,” she said.
Now cancer-free, Knowles told People, “I’m doing great… incredibly blessed that God allowed me to find it early.” On her decision to go public, she said, “I decided to share it because I think it’s a lot of lessons in it for other women… you must go get your [mammogram].”
Speaking emotionally during an appearance on CBS Mornings, she recalled the moment she received the diagnosis: “I was in disbelief… I’ve always tried to take care of myself.” Knowles explained that her delay in getting the mammogram may have affected how early the cancer could have been caught. “If I had gone for my mammogram, I would’ve got it at the zero stage,” she said. “Thank God, it was still very small, hadn’t spread. It was a very slow-spreading cancer.”
In her memoir, she reflected, “I had been through all of this stuff in life getting to be 70 years old, and now I’m gonna get cancer?” Despite the initial shock, her daughters stepped up with unwavering support. “My girls became my team,” she wrote, adding that Beyoncé “would find me the top specialist.”
Tina underwent surgery in August 2024, which included the removal of the cancerous tissue and a breast reduction. A second operation followed in September due to a hematoma, and she later battled a serious infection. “She insisted I put her on speaker during my consult,” Tina recalled of Beyoncé, praising her daughter’s attentiveness.
Recalling a special moment before surgery, Tina shared that her family gathered at the hospital, with Solange playing TikTok videos and the family singing “Walk With Me,” a cherished hymn. “I went in there feeling, just like God’s got me,” she said.
Now cancer-free, Knowles told People, “I’m doing great… incredibly blessed that God allowed me to find it early.” On her decision to go public, she said, “I decided to share it because I think it’s a lot of lessons in it for other women… you must go get your [mammogram].”
