Beyoncé’s Father Matthew Talks Old Rifts And Reasons: ‘It Was Hard For Me To Let Her Go’


Beyoncé famously dedicated a song on her breakout solo album Dangerously In Love to her father and then manager, Matthew Knowles. Titled “Daddy,” she sang of a relationship that she thought would never change. Except it did.

According to British newspaper The Sun, Knowles has finally gone on record about the rift that resulted when he and Beyoncé ended their business relationship.

Back in 2011, Beyoncé made the shock announcement that her father would no longer be her manager. Many were surprised. Here was an artist who had sold millions, stacked up a record number of Grammy awards and ascended to the top of her field.

Few would deny that no small part of that success was down to the guidance of the man who had been there from the beginning — from Girls Tyme, Destiny’s Child, to overseeing Beyonce’s solo career — and who had left his job as a sales executive to dedicate his life to her eventual music industry domination.

At the time the official story and minimal announcement gave no reasons for the split, while saying the decision was mutual. But stories alleging financial irregularities on the part of Knowles persisted, amid rumors that the child he’d sired outside of his marriage to Tina Knowles had led to a rift in his relationship with his elder daughter.

In The Sun’s piece which can only be viewed in full in print, Knowles reportedly refutes those allegations and is also reported to have said that Beyoncé has cut him out of her life.

The 61-year-old is quoted as saying:

“I’ve never revealed this much in an interview before. Normally I hate to talk about anything personal, but it would be a lie if I did not say it has been difficult.”

“It was hard for me to let her go — it was hard for both of us to let each other go. And let’s be clear on that. She didn’t let me go, we both let each other go. That’s a big difference.”

In a recent one-on-one with Oprah Winfrey for an installment of Next Chapter, Beyoncé herself said her decision to end her professional relationship with her father was “one of the hardest” choices she has ever made.

The mother-of-one continued: “Someone you love, someone that’s given you life… someone that did a fantastic job. It’s hard… it’s a part of growth… It was difficult and we both knew it was time, maybe a few years before. I love my father so much and he has taught me so many things. So it was something that was hard. I don’t know what else to say.”

According to The Sun, however, statements made by Matthew Knowles imply that a power struggle between him and Beyoncé’s husband rapper Jay-Z may have had a part to play in his removal from her career. He also talks of how “incredibly painful” it was to accept that he wasn’t her manager anymore.

For her part, Beyoncé admitted in her recent HBO documentary, “Life Is But A Dream,” that she felt “tarnished” by the state of her relationship with her father, adding: “It’s just too stressful, and it really affects your relationship. I needed boundaries, and I think my dad needed boundaries.”

Today, Knowles is an active grandfather in Blue Ivy’s life and recently spoke to HLN about how proud he was of his daughter. So it seems whatever “rift” there may have been, has — or is healing.

Beyoncé will shortly ignite her “The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour” in Serbia on April 15. The Houston native will cover 42 countries before finishing on August 5 at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center where Jay-Z is likely to make an appearance.

The multi-Grammy award winning artist is also headlining at the UK’s V festival along with Kings of Leon this August, and was recently named the new face of high street fashion brand H& M.

Do you think we have heard the full story of what happened between Beyoncé and Matthew Knowles, or do you think it should remain a private, family affair?

[Image via Featureflash / Shutterstock.com]

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