Tina Knowles must have endured a lot of criticism of her daughters over the years, but sometimes a mother has to take a stand. Following the premiere of Beyoncé’s tour movie Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé, the pop star faced some nasty comments about her appearance. Wearing a platinum wig and a disco-silver dress, she looked a little bit like a Targaryen; some commenters, however, were focused on how the look gave the appearance that Beyoncé had lightened her skin.
Knowles responded on Instagram by posting a fan edit that showed past Beyoncé looks set to her song “Brown Skin Girl,” aimed at “all of the stupid ignorant self, hating racist statements about her,” as she put it. “How sad is it that some of her own people continue the stupid narrative with hate and jealousy,” she wrote. “Duh, she wore silver hair to match her silver dress as a fashion statement clown.”
The post went on, “What’s really sad is that a white woman had the audacity to reach out to Neal [Farinah] Beyonces hairstylist [saying] she was from TMZ to say that the fans are saying that she wants to be white and she wanted to get a statement about it from Neal. … Well that made, my blood boil , that this white woman felt so entitled to discuss her blackness.”
Knowles also expressed her disappointment that some Black fans didn’t appreciate the history of the look, which she dated back to “the Etta James days”: “I just went and looked at all the beautiful talented black celebrities who have worn platinum hair and it has been just about everyone of them at one time or another. Are they all trying to be white? I am sick and tired of people attacking her.”
The proud mother went on to praise her daughter’s “work ethic, talent and resilience,” accusing the “sad little haters” of perpetuating “jealousy and racism,” “sexism,” and “double standards.” She wrote, “I am sick of you losers. I know that she is going to be pissed at me for doing this, but I am fed up ! This girl minds her own business. She helps people whenever she can. She lifts up & promotes black women and underdogs at all times.”