Tina Knowles Says She “Went Into Such a Depression” After Ending 33-Year Marriage: “I Didn’t Know How to Be Solo”
Tina Knowles is opening up about the emotional journey that led her to end her 33-year marriage, sharing that the choice took immense courage and left her unsure of how to rebuild her life. Speaking at the LA Times Studios’ fifth annual Inspirational Women Forum & Leadership Awards — where HELLO! was present — the 71-year-old designer and author discussed the difficult period that followed her divorce from Mathew Knowles.
Tina, whose memoir Matriarch was released in April 2025, said her life had been deeply intertwined with Mathew’s because of their decades of marriage and their work supporting Destiny’s Child. “I was married for 33 years,” she said. “You can imagine how intertwined our lives were with Destiny’s Child and that career.”
She explained that the closeness of their personal and professional lives made the decision even harder. Tina recalled thinking, “How do I untangle this ball of yarn? Because my life is so intertwined with my ex-husband.” She served as the stylist and creative lead for Destiny’s Child, while Mathew acted as the group’s manager.
Ultimately, she decided to leave the marriage — a turning point she described as emotionally overwhelming. “When I finally decided that I would get out of the marriage … I went into such a depression,” Tina said. She added that she struggled with suddenly being on her own: “I didn’t know how to be solo without this other person who I had been with for 33 years.”
Tina also admitted she feared starting over later in life. She remembered thinking, “I’m 59. Where am I going to get a man? I’m not young anymore.” But she told the audience that choosing herself became a crucial act of courage. “Women are strong,” she said, noting that she eventually rebuilt her confidence and sense of independence. Today, Tina says she hopes her story encourages other women who feel trapped or afraid of beginning again. She emphasized that finding the bravery to make a major life change is difficult — but possible.
