Mathew Knowles Stops Interview After Host Brings Up Tina Knowles’ Role in Destiny’s Child [Video]

A television interview meant to spotlight Destiny’s Child’s legacy took an uncomfortable detour when Mathew Knowles questioned how much credit his former wife deserved.

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Mathew Knowles recently appeared on PIX11 anchor Kendis Gibson’s show “Kandid with Kendis” to promote his Destiny’s Child tribute tour. During the conversation, Gibson acknowledged the years of work both Mathew and Tina Knowles invested in building the careers of their daughters and the group that became one of the most successful R&B acts ever.

“You’ve earned your flowers,” Gibson told him. “You guys put in the work.”

Mathew pushed back on that framing.

“What work did she put in?” he abruptly asked.

The response appeared to catch Gibson off guard. After a brief pause, he answered, “The hair.”

Knowles then reconsidered the point. “OK, you’re absolutely right,” he said. “And the styling. The imaging. You’re right.”

For fans of Destiny’s Child, Tina’s influence on the group’s image is widely recognized. Before Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams were wearing designer fashion onstage, Tina created many of their early looks herself. A trained hairstylist who owned a Houston salon, she designed coordinated stage outfits and helped craft the group’s bold visual identity during the late 1990s and early 2000s.

The conversation wrapped soon after the exchange. As the interview ended, Gibson asked, “Did I say something wrong?”

Mathew later said he decided to end the interview early because it had “started on a bad note,” explaining that he preferred to keep the discussion centered on the Destiny’s Child tribute concert he is currently promoting.

According to Page Six, the production disputed the idea that Gibson had gone off topic, stating that the host was simply “giving them their flowers” for their work helping build the group’s legacy.