‘I Thought She was Still Married’: Tina Knowles Exposes the Real Reason She Left Richard Lawson — Now She’s Back Outside with a New Man
Tina Knowles is embracing a new chapter in her life at 71, as she recently stepped back into the dating world nearly two years after her divorce from actor Richard Lawson.
The mother of superstars Beyoncé and Solange recently opened up about finding love again while promoting her new memoir “Matriarch,” which details her journey through relationships, motherhood, and self-discovery.
The Cécred chairwoman has experienced her fair share of heartbreak throughout her life but seems to be moving forward with optimism and newfound confidence now.
In a candid conversation with People for their World’s Most Beautiful issue, Knowles revealed that romance has found its way back into her life, though she’s keeping the details close to her heart.
“I am spending time with a friend,” Knowles confirmed when asked if she was seeing someone. “Very nice gentleman. We’ll see what happens.”
Her subtle announcement sparked immediate support from fans on social media platform X, with one supporter posting, “That’s right mama. Keep it private!!! I’m witchu!”
— Weezy25 (@moodyjbey) April 23, 2025
Another fan chimed in with words of protection for the matriarch, writing, “I know that right. Hope he treats mama Tina right,” while another said, Let’s hope he’s richer than her and handsome. She needs a guy who understands her lifestyle and [is] not jealous.”
A fourth person noted, “Idk why I thought she was still married.”
This new romance comes after Knowles made the difficult decision to end her eight-year marriage to Lawson, whom she wed in 2015.
In her memoir, she reveals the deeply personal reasons behind their separation, writing that while she harbors no ill will toward her ex-husband, she realized something fundamental was missing from their relationship.
“I just grew up at 69, and realized I deserved so much more. I wanted to be happy,” she explained in her book, according to US Weekly. “I wanted someone to be happy when I walked in the room. If I stayed in this relationship, I would never feel whole, loved, cherished, and respected. And seen.”
During a recent interview with Oprah Winfrey for Oprah’s Book Club, Knowles shared that filmmaker Tyler Perry provided crucial support during her decision to divorce Lawson.
“I have finally found my worth and I know that I deserve to be happy. I know I deserve somebody to be happy when they see me and to celebrate and it’s not doing it for,” she explained. “And it’s gotta stop.”
After explaining to Perry that “this marriage is not bringing out the best in me,” the director became emotional.
“He was teary-eyed,” Knowles recalled about Perry. “He was like, ‘I am so proud of you coming from a family where women stayed no matter what and it’s taken a lot of courage.’”
She also revealed to Perry that her decision was partly for her daughters’ benefit, wanting to set an example of self-worth. Perry pointed out that her choice would impact not only her daughters but also her grandson.
“You’re not only doing it for your daughters, but you’re doing it for your grandson because you think that you’re doing something to stay in a marriage that’s unhappy, that you’re not celebrated, or you feel fulfilled,” Knowles recalled Perry as saying. “You are affecting your grandson, too, because he wants you to be happy, and how he’s going to treat the woman that comes along.”
(It’s not clear which of Knowles’ two grandsons Perry might have been referring to. The 71-year-old has four grandchildren, including daughter Solange’s 20-year-old son Daniel Julez Smith Jr., and Beyoncé’s 13-year-old daughter Blue Ivy Carter and the superstar’s 7-year-old twins, daughter Rumi and son Sir.)
Knowles’ journey to this point has been marked by significant relationship challenges.
Her first marriage to Mathew Knowles, which lasted 31 years and produced daughters Beyoncé and Solange, ended in 2011 after decades of infidelity. In her memoir, she details how Mathew’s repeated cheating created a cycle of betrayal and reconciliation that became unsustainable.
The final straw came when Mathew fathered a child with another woman in 2009, leading Tina to file for divorce. Her book reveals that she briefly reconciled with him in secret during 2010, a decision that outraged her daughters when they discovered the truth on Mother’s Day that year.
Looking back on her relationship patterns, Knowles admits in her memoir, “I clearly knew my relationship with Mathew was unhealthy, and it was the fear of going it alone that kept me stuck.”
As she promotes her memoir and embarks on a nine-city book tour beginning April 30 in Washington, D.C. (where former first lady Michelle Obama will moderate), Knowles is embracing this new phase with confidence and joy.
Perry will join her for a special conversation in Atlanta on May 8.