Tina Knowles Seemingly Responds To Mathew Knowles Downplaying Her Role In Destiny's Child's Success

By Jacquez Printup on March 5, 2026 at 3:30 PM EST

Photo collage of Mathew and Tina Knowles.
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Tina Knowles seems to be responding to her ex-husband, Mathew Knowles, questioning her involvement in Destiny'sChild. In a now-viral clip, Mathew walked off the set of an interview after a reporter praised both him and Tina for the "work" they put into creating one of the world's most successful girl groups, prompting a flurry of responses and a subtle clap back from the matriarch herself.

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Tina Knowles Claps Back At Mathew After The Music Mogul Seemed To Question Her Role In Making Destiny's Child Successful

Tina shared a throwback clip of a documentary focusing on Destiny's Child's legacy and the role the mother of two played in their styling over the years.

The clip also highlighted Tina’s creative hustle in the early days, noting how she was forced to design original looks because high-end fashion houses wouldn't work with Destiny's Child.

The clip seemed to be a subtle clap back at Mathew after he seemingly downplayed her contributions to the group during his interview with PIX11 on January 30, 2026.

In the interview, Mathew walked off the set after anchor Kendis Gibson said Tina and Mathew both "put in the work, and obviously the talent was there." Mathew interrupted, "What work did she put in?"

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Gibson clarified that he was referring to Tina's contributions to the group's "styling and imaging," to which Mathew said, "You're right," before stopping the interview and leaving the set.

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Mathew Knowles Sheds More Light On His Interview With PIX11, Says It Was Supposed To Be About Destiny's Child, Not Tina

Mathew Knowles arrives to GMA where he reveals he is a breast cancer survivor
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While Mathew's behavior on the set of his interview seemed out of line, the 74-year-old said the interview was doomed from the start. According to Page Six, Gibson allegedly arrived at his interview with Mathew 15 minutes late.

Additionally, Gibson reportedly continued asking questions about Tina Knowles despite the focus being on Destiny's Child. "How it starts is how it ends. It started on a bad note, and obviously ended on a bad note for him," Mathew said.

"I politely ended the interview, shook his hand, and took a photograph," he added.

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Destiny's Child Credits 'Brilliant' Tina Knowles During 2001 Interview

Gibson isn't the first person to credit Tina and highlight the role she played in Destiny's Child's success. In a 2001 interview, Kelly Rowland praised Tina, calling her "brilliant" and commending her for staying on top of the trends and keeping their looks fresh.

Beyoncé also applauded her mother and explained how grateful she was for her mother's involvement in the group. "She knows what we like, and she knows our bodies," the "Lemonade" singer said.

Later, Tina got emotional thinking about how far she'd come as the group's primary designer, recalling the amount of "flak" she received because she wasn't a trained designer.

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"So, people used to put my designs down, and then I'd see them on a runway," she said. "I took a lot of abuse for that time, but my girls never wavered. They always believed in me."

Michelle Williams Jumps In The Chat, Has Only Positive Things To Say About Tina

Michelle Williams at 78th Annual Tony Awards - Arrivals
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During a November 2025 appearance, Michelle Williams, who has been a major part of Destiny's Child's success since February 2000, also spoke about Tina and shed light on the work she put in to help the girls look their best.

"Miss Tina made our costumes by hand, y’all. I can still smell the glue gun," Michelle said. "She stayed up late making sure everything was perfect and cheered us on like the proud mother she’s always been — not just to her own children, but to all of us lucky enough to be loved by her."

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Social Media Users Are Rushing To Tina's Defense After Mathew's Interview Clip Went Viral

Social media users responded to Mathew's viral clip and wasted no time showing the businessman they were on Tina's side.

"Just in case anyone wants to question what she contributed to Destiny's Child AND the culture: here it is!!! Our queen," someone wrote.

"Beyoncé literally said, 'I got this sh-t from Tina,' thank ya," another wrote, referencing her 2016 hit "Formation."

"Let’s also not forget that Destiny’s Child’s FIRST number one Billboard Hot 100 #1 hit—Bills Bills Bills—was shot in YOUR ‘Headliners’ hair salon!!!!! Like let’s put some respect on your contributions to this history," a third shared.

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