Throwback: The Complicated Relationship Between Beyoncé And Her Father Mathew Knowles And Why She 'Sued' Him

Behind the success of Beyoncé lies a complex family dynamic with her father, Mathew Knowles, who guided her career from her early Destiny’s Child days to solo stardom.

By Sakina Kaukawala

Published on Oct 31, 2024 | 04:17 PM IST | 6.3K

Mathew Knowles and Beyoncé (via Twitter/Mathew Knowles)

In March 2011, the music world was stunned when Beyoncé decided to part ways with her father, Mathew Knowles, who had managed her career from the very beginning.

Despite their personal connection, Beyoncé explained that the split was purely professional, but the story took new turns as Mathew soon brought the case to court. Their close and complicated bond saw both family loyalty and professional disputes, raising many questions over the years.

Mathew Knowles was a founding figure in Beyoncé’s music career, helping her build Destiny’s Child along with Kelly Rowland, LaTavia Roberson, and LeToya Luckett. At the time, Mathew was working as a medical equipment salesman, but he left his stable career to manage the girl group, taking on full responsibility for their success.

He played a major role in securing recording deals and guiding the group’s musical direction, pushing the members to refine their craft. LaTavia Roberson, a former member of Destiny’s Child, shared that Mathew could be strict, saying, “Mathew did not mince his words and it can be tough to take that kind of criticism when you are a little girl. We would try not to let it break us.”

Under Mathew’s leadership, Destiny’s Child went on to achieve international fame, but over time, their father-daughter relationship would face challenges as business and family dynamics became harder to separate.

In March 2011, Beyoncé announced that her father would no longer be managing her career. While the decision surprised fans, she stated that it was strictly professional and did not affect her relationship with him.

“I’ve only parted ways with my father on a business level. He is my father for life, and I love my dad dearly. I am grateful for everything he has taught me,” Beyoncé stated in an exclusive interview with Us Magazine.

This decision was a significant shift, as Mathew had managed Beyoncé since the beginning of her career. She stated that she had observed her parents as hard-working entrepreneurs and wanted to follow in their footsteps by running her career independently. Following this decision, Beyoncé founded her own company, Parkwood Entertainment, which continues to manage her projects.

Shortly after the split, Mathew Knowles filed a lawsuit, alleging that Live Nation Entertainment, a major entertainment company, had influenced Beyoncé’s decision.

According to the legal complaint, Mathew claimed Live Nation convinced Beyoncé that he had misappropriated funds from her recent tours. Mathew denied these allegations and requested permission to question Live Nation’s executives to clarify his business dealings with his daughter.

Reports at the time indicated that Beyoncé had hired an audit firm to look into her finances, and the audit allegedly found discrepancies in tour funds. Based on this information, Beyoncé chose to move forward without her father’s management, but she continued to maintain that the choice was solely about business and did not impact their personal bond.

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