Tina Knowles Lawson, mother of Beyonce and Solange, covers the new issue of Ebony. They styled her like old-school Pam Grier, which is pretty amazing (Pam Grier is everything). Tina is 61 years old, and she recently remarried a seemingly nice guy named Richard Lawson after she finally divorced Mathew Knowles (father to Bey and Solange) after Mathew repeatedly cheated on her and fathered at least one other child with another woman. What’s interesting to me is that Beyonce is so famous, we’re now talking about her mother as a stand-alone celebrity in her own right. Are you buying it? I guess I am. I think Bey and Tina are very, very close and I think Tina could definitely spill some major tea on her daughters, but Tina is the one who taught Bey to be so image-controlled. Tina won’t spill. Here are some random pieces of info from Tina’s Ebony profile:
Tina is not on Beyonce’s payroll: But Knowles Lawson also matter-of-factly shares that she is not—and has never been—a kept woman. She’s on no one’s payroll, thank you, and she wants it that way. Beyoncé certainly doesn’t pay her, at least not in cash.
Tina is in talks for her own TV show about “getting your groove back.”
Tina does Pilates “five days a week and has a ravishing body.”
Jay-Z “urged” Tina to date younger men following her divorce.
Tina on her sex life with her new husband: “Our sex life is active; it’s really good.”
Her relationship with her ex-husband: Matthew is “family to this day.”
Tina on Solange: “She is tough, but I have seen her completely give up her life to take care of somebody she loves.”
Ahead of Tina’s April wedding, “the family created a private, feature length movie: The Life & Times of BadAss Tenie B & ColdAss Rickey Lee. The release came complete with a red carpet event. Part blaxsploitation spoof, part anthropological family documentary.”
Tina on agreeing to the Ebony cover: “When I was asked to do the Sexy Forever ‘Ebony’ magazine cover, my first question was, ‘Me really?’ I had some reservations but as I thought of all the women who tell me daily that I have inspired them to live a wholehearted life, which includes your sexuality. I am proud to be 61 years old and to not be putting limitations on my lifestyle. We can still be sexy and vibrant, fashionable, classy and fly until the day we die!”
The only thing here that I really side-eye is that Tina is not on Beyonce’s payroll. Yeah… I don’t believe that. Tina is always with her oldest daughter, Tina and Bey tried to make House of Dereon work together, but it sucked and it was embarrassing Beyonce. I have no doubt that Tina has provided and still provides a lot of support and advice to Beyonce, and I have no doubt that Beyonce takes care of her mother generously. And why is it a big deal to admit that? I would actually think less of Beyonce if she wasn’t taking care of her mom financially.
Here's a FIRST LOOK at sexy Miss Tina's shoot in this month's #SexyForever issue on @eonline! http://t.co/St4XWTZSgI pic.twitter.com/8DycpSXEHg
— EBONY (@EBONYMag) June 15, 2015
Photos courtesy of Ebony.
If I was rich I would spoil the hell out of my mom. I don’t know if she would let me support her, but you can bet your ass I’d try.
I think that ‘not on Beyonce’s payroll’ means that Beyonce doesn’t cut her a check every week. She’s not ’employed’ by her daughter. I’m sure Beyonce takes care of her mama.
She looks amazing.
Jesus I can only hope and pray to be slaying it like that when I’m her age.
It’s funny I consider her more beautiful than Beyoncé (and definitely more beautiful than Solange) neither of her daughters really picked up her good traits physically.
Do you know that she has had extensive cosmetic surgery and IMO Beyoncé and Solange are gorgeous in their own right.
I was Gonna say Loopy, sure she works out But we need not kid ourselves that she hasn’t had plenty of nips and tucks and a Nice little facelift to go with it all
Also BS, she isn’t in the payroll, Maybe not officially but i’m sure her kids have bought her stuff and property and so on, plus I believe for a while she was touted as their stylist
All that said she looks pretty damned Fabulous
Yes! ALL three of these ladies are GORGEOUS! This comment really struck a chord with me: “and definitely more beautiful than Solange.” People (of all races mind you) always find Beyoncé to be the overwhelmingly more beautiful of the two, but she has definitely “Europeanized” her features. In particular, her nose. Solange has more traditionally “Black/African” features. And even though people mean no harm by stating Beyoncé is far more attractive, it’s an implicit reinforcement of the bias towards eurocentricism. Obviously, everyone has different aesthetics, but we also have to admit that these are heavily derived from socialization and other socio-cultural aspects.
I 100% agree with you, HH. Solange is beautiful, it’s just not the same beautiful as Beyonce and Tina.
She actually favours Tina Turner a lot. Is House of Dereon still operational???, they killed it quietly.
It was horrible. It deserved a loud and extremely public death. I remember seeing Tina promoting it on some morning show a few years back and Beyoncé came onstage wearing one of her mothers designs. I thought good on you supporting your mom but it was just the worst.
I remember it was a hot mess, really gaudy pieces, stuff Beyoncé wouldn’t not be caught dead in unless she was promoting it.
Werk hunni! omg wowza
Christ she is gorgeous.
That cover is so photoshopped or whatever that it looks nothing like Tina Knowles. One look through google images shows the real Tina, beautiful and mature, secure or herself as she is.
“On payroll!? I’m the muthafucxin mama!” Is what I would say.
I’m no ageist, but I just find the standing pic inappropriate or “too young”. You can still be a sexy 60 year old just….idk maybe I’m not a fan of the dress no matter who’s wearing it.
Yeah the pic is a little much (even though she looks great). However, I’m not too bothered because of the very public divorce she went through. I had a friend only in her late 30s go through a divorce and it really shakes up who you are and your self-esteem. You have to really find yourself again and your desirability. ****Also, Matthew needs to know what he gave up. STUPID MOVE, BUDDY. Work, Tina!!!
I disagree with you. This outfit is appropriate, for this woman at this time in her life (it’s a magazine shoot after all, she is just posing, she doesn’t walk around like that, lol).
She may not be paid directly by her daughter, but everything she does is trading off her famous daughter’s name. That hideous fashion line would never have gotten a single thing actually produced if Beyonce hadn’t lent her image, and does she think she’d be taking meetings with TV producers if her daughter wasn’t a pop star?
Totally. And I keep thinking about the “movie” made about them – but starring Beyoncé lol.
Ms Tina also had a line for Wal Mart.
She is an attractive sexy woman; regardless of age.
but I hate that cover.. looks tacky to me. Just too much Red or something. I don’t know.
If I was rich, you bet I would support my parents financially.
Well, they’re both gorgeous and she sure bought Bey and herself some pretty noses.
LOL. Thank you for saying this. There is no denying that all 3 are beautiful women. But it seems like a little known fact that all of them had nose jobs? Beyonce didn’t wake up like that. Nor was she born like that. No one in their family was.
She looks gorgeous.
Sexy, vibrant, fashionable, classy, fly… Funny how someone’s prison is another one’s liberty.
About her pictures, I wouldn’t expect any different from Beyonce’s mother.
She’s beautiful at any age but pretty damn fly for 61.
Miss Tina is slaying
Of course she has had plastic surgery.More power to her.I’m so happy for Miss Tina for finding love in her late fifties.I met her and Richard last year in Houston.She looks better in person than she does on this cover IMO.
I thought it was Faye Dunaway
Ms. Tina is killing it. I’m sure she has had a few nips and tucks. No shade, though. She looks fabulous. And at 61? Werk mama!
She looks 34, not 61. If it’s not all photoshopped, I’d feel a little weird looking so young like that. But to each her own. She looks fabulous. I also like how Jayzee told her to date younger men. He also supported Rihanna and dissed Chris Brown after Chris beat Rihanna (one of the few men who actually dissed Chris). I respect him enormously as he is also extremely talented and savvy as well as pro-woman.
She has such a regal face and bearing.
Richard Lawson and his daughter Bianca are both actors who have been in several films. I believe Richard Lawson was on sister sister too.