4 May 2026
Tina Knowles learned to “stop being so codependent” after her breast cancer diagnosis.
Tina Knowles has opened up on the impact of her breast cancer battle
The 72-year-old matriarch, whose daughters are Beyonce and Solange, has opened up on the “biggest lesson that came from” her health struggle after she was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer in July 2024.
Tina, who had her tumour removed in late 2024, underwent a breast reduction and was given the all-clear in April 2025, told the L.A. Times Festival of Books that she has learned to “slow down” and “stop being so codependent”.
She added; “I just really take care of myself and take time to enjoy my life and not be so stressed all the time.
“That was the biggest lesson that came from this. It’s still hard because, you know, I’m getting on a plane tonight and then I’ll get on a plane in two days for one day, and I still fall short sometimes in taking the best care of myself.
“At least I’m conscious of it now because, you know, you can give and give and give, but you’re not gonna be there to give to those people one day if you don’t take care of yourself. So that’s really important.”
As reported by PEOPLE, she also urged the audience to “get your mammograms” and admitted she had actually “missed two” screenings before getting her diagnosis.
Tina described doctors finding the illness at an early stage as a “miracle”.
She opened up on more lessons, including the importance of an “inner circle”, whether that’s someone “related to you by blood of if they’re friends”.
She explained: “When you hear the word cancer, it is the most frightening thing that you can ever go through, and you need people around you that are gonna support you and get you through it.
“I had plenty of people that helped me get through it, but some people are not that fortunate.”
Last year, Tina insisted she knew she “could get through anything” with her daughters alongside her.
She told The Guardian newspaper: “It was really hard, really challenging.
“Something that I thought was going to be easy turned into something pretty traumatic, but I am doing so good now, and I am just so grateful and blessed that I am healthy. It could have been way worse.
“My kids were….I can’t even explain how supportive they were.
“This was a seven-day-a-week thing, and I felt, with them by my side, I could get through anything – and I did.”
