Tina Knowles, the woman responsible for giving the Beyoncé Giselle Knowles life, would like to remind Internet commenters that while girls run the world, moms will burn it down if you come after their children.
Knowles on Tuesday came to the defense of her superstar daughter against “ignorant, self-hating, racist” statements that the singer endured after debuting a new look at the premiere of “Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé.”
On Saturday, Beyoncé turned heads at the Los Angeles premiere of her film, hitting theaters December 1, with an ethereal head-to-toe look anchored by custom silver gown from Versace and platinum hair.
Because we can’t have nice things, the Internet soon had opinions that ranged from glowing to downright gross, prompting a conversation about colorism and, eventually, Knowles’ defense of her daughter.
“She does a film, called the renaissance (sic), where the whole theme is silver with silver hair, a silver carpet, and suggested silver attire and you bozos decide that she’s trying to be a white woman and is bleaching her skin?” Knowles wrote on Instagram. “How sad is it that some of her own people continue the stupid narrative with hate and jealousy.”
Knowles went on to point out the storied history of Black women – and celebrities in general – who have sported platinum hair, the legendary Etta James among them.
“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,” Knowles wrote.
Knowles shared in her post a video – seemingly not created by Knowles herself – that further put into context the points that she was making.
“Beyoncé is a brown skin girl,” text in the video stated. “Sometimes more or less light. A brown skin girl is more than a skin color. It’s a culture, a pride a strength. Beyoncé is a brown skin girl. Beyoncé is the brown skin girl’s voice.”
Knowles admitted that her famous daughter “is going to be pissed” that Knowles posted in her defense, “but I am fed up.”
Celebrities including Cynthia Erivo, Octavia Spencer and Keke Palmer lent their support for Knowles’ words in the comments section.
“You have raised beautiful, strong, intelligent black, PROUD TO BE BLACK women. Period,” Spencer wrote. “Anyone who says otherwise has their own issues to deal with. I’m sorry you’ve come across the negative comments that people don’t realize is a reflection of how they feel about themselves.”
The lesson: Don’t come for Beyoncé unless you’re ready for everyone from her life-giver to an Oscar-winner to get in formation.
