Before anything, Tina Knowles is a mother and a grandmother who will protect her family, regardless of how it may look.
Recently, the matriarch of the Knowles family had to address the whispers about what some considered a “stern grandma moment” onstage with her 7-year-old granddaughter, Rumi Carter.
Beyoncé brought her mother onstage during the May 1 stop of her Cowboy Carter tour at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. The singer wanted to congratulate Knowles on the success of her memoir, “Matriarch,” and topping the New York Times Best Seller list.
Along with her daughter, Knowles, 71, was joined onstage by her granddaughters, Blue Ivy Carter, 13, and Rumi. The three generations took to the stage while Beyoncé performed her touching single “Protector.”
As Beyoncé celebrated her mother, an excited Rumi attempted to reach for her mother’s microphone.
Knowles gently intervened and attempted to distract Rumi and pull her aside while Beyoncé continued singing. In one last attempt to divert the excited 7-year-old, her big sister gave her the cue to calm down and stand with her.
Like every clip circulating on social media from the tour, the moment went viral, and not just because of the generations of the family on the stage or Rumi having another stand-out moment, but also because of the brief moment when some assumed Knowles was scolding her youngest granddaughter.
I know Mama Tina be judging Bey’s disciplinary tactics!! I know that look! 😂😂😂😂🙄 pic.twitter.com/4EZ3Q9gQPX
— Free-Bey Judge (@TMikaMouse) May 2, 2025
@TMikaMouse‘s tweet acknowledging “Mama Tina’s straight-face glare indicating she disapproved of her daughter’s parenting tactics” racked up over 2.5 million views and thousands of replies.
“If ‘getcho kids’ had a face lmao,” replied @twig_lalaland.
@GilwithShakes agreed, saying precisely what that face meant. “I know that look lol thats the black mama look, hint u bout to get that ass snached up lol.”
Several users attributed Knowles’ expression to her daughter not “popping those babies enough for her liking” or possibly because their father, Jay-Z, lets them “do whatever.”
However, some thought her energy seemed slightly more sinister than that of an old-school Southern grandmother.
“The most evil aura I’ve ever seen,” said @realshawnngee.
@Lyricalbabi shared her opinion, “She didn’t want that kid on the stage that night.”
To which @latonya25453426 replied, “Everytime I watch this clip I got that vibe like she was nasty and rude!!! She wasn’t welcoming she didn’t want that baby to outshine her moment!”
With all the opinions being shared about the moment, Knowles cleared everything up during a recent stop on her “Matriarch” book tour.
On Wednesday, May 21, she stopped in Brooklyn, New York, to chat with Gayle King and opened up about the viral moment.
“People have written all kinds of narratives about it,” Knowles said to King after she reenacted Knowles’ gestures. King quickly clarified that she thought the moment was “very funny” with Knowles admitting that the moment reflected “real life.”
“You know, grandmas don’t play,” Knowles jokingly said.
She then revealed that she realized Rumi was attempting to speak into the mic and pulling on it, causing her to launch into protection mode.
“I said, ‘Oh God, that’s all that needs to happen. The mic hits her in the face.”
Before explaining her intervention during Rumi’s show-stealing moment, Knowles gushed over her granddaughter’s emotions while onstage with her mother and sister.
She claimed she asked Rumi how she felt when she waved and everyone cheered her on when she appeared. “She said, ‘It feels powerful.’”
