Tina Knowles has revealed the panic she experienced watching daughter Beyoncé perform high above a concert crowd when a suspended car prop suddenly tilted, leaving the singer holding herself in position to avoid falling.
The 72-year-old businesswoman, hairstylist and fashion designer recalled the frightening incident during an appearance on This Morning on Tuesday while discussing her memoir, Matriarch.
Speaking with presenters Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard, Tina also opened up about her breast cancer diagnosis and shared how her four grandchildren have encouraged her to become more open and carefree.
Tina Knowles Recalls Beyoncé’s Frightening Mid-Air Incident
The dramatic concert moment occurred during Beyoncé’s Houston show in June 2025 as she performed “16 Carriages.”
Beyoncé was suspended above the audience inside a car-shaped stage prop when it began tilting dangerously.
Tina said she immediately understood something had gone wrong and desperately tried to make her way through the crowd.
“It was terrible,” she recalled, explaining that she had been standing on a platform and had to fight through concertgoers to reach the area where her daughter would eventually be brought down.
Beyoncé Kept Singing as Stage Prop Tilted
Despite the apparent malfunction, Beyoncé continued performing.
Tina said her daughter remained composed even as the car tilted, forcing her to physically hold herself inside the prop.
She described Beyoncé as a professional who continued singing throughout the incident despite the danger.
According to Tina, her daughter could potentially have fallen from the suspended structure if she had been unable to maintain her grip.
Tina Says Beyoncé’s Strength Helped Her Hold On
By the time Tina reached her daughter, concert personnel had safely lowered the prop.
She credited Beyoncé’s physical strength with helping her remain secure during the incident.
“She’s an athlete, she’s very strong,” Tina said.
She added that Beyoncé effectively had to hold herself inside the car to prevent herself from falling while it was tilted.
For Tina, the incident reinforced her existing anxiety about the elaborate aerial elements frequently incorporated into Beyoncé’s concerts.
‘Stop Flying,’ Tina Tells Her Superstar Daughter
Tina admitted she regularly becomes nervous whenever Beyoncé performs while suspended above audiences.
She recalled questioning why her daughter continues using flying stage elements, particularly during difficult weather conditions.
The concerned mother referenced another performance involving a suspended horseshoe while rain poured down.
“She drives me crazy. Stop flying,” Tina said.
Her comments offered a glimpse of the maternal anxiety behind some of Beyoncé’s highly choreographed and technically ambitious stadium performances.
Beyoncé Had a Show to Finish After Her Mother Reached Her
Once Tina finally reached Beyoncé after the car incident, relief apparently took over.
Tina said she repeatedly hugged her daughter after seeing that she had escaped without serious injury.
Beyoncé, however, remained focused on completing the concert.
According to Tina, the singer eventually told her, “Momma, I gotta show to do,” before pushing her away so she could continue performing.
Tina said she was simply grateful that the incident ended safely, acknowledging that the outcome could have been much worse.
Tina Knowles Opens Up About Stage One Breast Cancer
The interview also turned to Tina’s own frightening experience after she was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer in July 2024.
Tina explained that she had missed a routine mammogram during the COVID-19 pandemic and mistakenly believed she had already completed the screening.
She used her experience to highlight what she sees as a common problem among women who spend so much time caring for relatives that their own health can become secondary.
Missed Mammogram Could Have Had Serious Consequences
Tina believes the timing of her eventual screening proved extremely important.
She said doctors told her that an earlier examination could have detected the disease at stage zero, while waiting considerably longer could potentially have resulted in a much more advanced diagnosis.
“If I had gone earlier, I would have had stage zero. And if I had gone later, I would have had stage four,” she said.
Tina described finally undergoing the screening when she did as a “gift of God.”
Tina Uses Her Cancer Experience to Encourage Women to Get Screened
Her health experience became one of the subjects she deliberately included in Matriarch.
Tina said she wanted women reading the memoir to understand the importance of attending medical screenings and prioritising their own wellbeing.
She argued that caring for yourself is also part of caring for your family.
Failing to make personal health a priority, she warned, can ultimately deprive children and other loved ones of the person who has spent years looking after everyone else.
Four Grandchildren Bring New Perspective to Tina’s Life
Tina also spoke warmly about being a grandmother.
She has four grandchildren: Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s daughter Blue Ivy and twins Sir and Rumi, as well as Solange’s son Daniel.
Tina said spending time with them has helped her become more comfortable expressing herself without constantly worrying about how others might respond.
“They are the best, they help me to be free,” she said.
Tina Says Her Grandchildren Have ‘No Filter’
According to Tina, one of the qualities she appreciates most about her grandchildren is their directness.
She described them as extremely blunt and said they frequently express exactly what they think without attempting to soften their opinions.
That attitude has encouraged her to feel less embarrassed or ashamed about sharing certain aspects of her own life.
Tina said their message to her is essentially to stop trying to contain everything and simply allow herself to be free.
Matriarch Offers Personal Look Behind Famous Family
Tina’s This Morning appearance provided another glimpse into the deeply personal experiences explored in Matriarch.
Her reflections ranged from the terrifying experience of watching Beyoncé face danger during a spectacular live performance to confronting her own cancer diagnosis and learning from a younger generation of her family.
Although Tina has spent decades watching her daughters become internationally recognised performers, her account of Beyoncé’s mid-air scare demonstrated that behind the enormous productions and superstar image, her instinct remains that of a worried mother.
And after facing her own health crisis, Tina is now using her experience to deliver a wider message to women: caring for everyone else should never mean ignoring potentially life-saving care for themselves.
