Tina Knowles, the mother of Beyoncé, has disclosed her hidden struggle with stage 1 breast cancer. Stage 1 indicates that the cancer has not metastasized to nearby lymph nodes or other parts of the body.
In a discussion with Gayle King on CBS Mornings, Knowles revealed that she was recently diagnosed after doctors identified two tumors in her breast during a mammogram.
One tumor was benign, while the other was classified as stage 1.
At 71, Knowles mentioned that she missed her mammogram appointment during the pandemic in 2020, which could have led to an earlier detection of the cancer.
She shared her diagnosis with her daughters, Beyoncé and Solange, alongside a select group of close friends who helped lift her spirits during her hospitalization for surgery.
“I was anxious,” she conveyed to Gayle King. “And they began to joke around with me.”
Solange even played a trending video about the term “demure” to uplift her before the surgical procedure.
“I started laughing. I got out of my head… And I expressed, ‘I’m just so grateful that you’re all here.’”
She reflected on the song ‘Walk With Me,’ which they used to sing frequently. Knowles mentioned that her niece Angie Beyince sang this song to her prior to a surgery where one of the tumors was excised.
“It speaks of God accompanying you into challenges and offering protection,” Knowles said tearfully. “And I entered there feeling as though God is with me.”