Beyoncé’s Mother Tina Knowles Files for Divorce After 8 Years of Marriage With Actor Richard Lawson

Tina Knowles-Lawson, the mother of Beyoncé and Solange Knowles, has filed for divorce from her husband, Richard Lawson. The news came to light after court documents were obtained by PEOPLE, revealing that the 69-year-old fashion designer filed for divorce on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, citing irreconcilable differences. In the documents, she listed the date of their separation as Tuesday, July 25, 2023.

According to the court papers, Tina has requested that the court refrain from awarding spousal support to either her or her soon-to-be ex-husband, Richard Lawson, who is 76 years old. Additionally, she has asked for her name to be restored to Celestine Knowles after the divorce is finalized. A representative for Tina has not yet responded to PEOPLE's request for comment on the matter.

Tina and Richard's love story began when they exchanged vows on a yacht in Newport Beach, California, on April 12, 2015. It marked the second marriage for both of them, as they had previously been in separate long-term relationships. Tina had been married to Beyoncé and Solange's father, Mathew Knowles, who also used to be her manager. However, they decided to part ways in 2009 after more than three decades together, and their divorce was finalized in 2011.

Throughout their marriage, Tina occasionally shared glimpses of their love and joy on social media. On their third wedding anniversary, she took to Instagram to post a heartfelt message to Richard, expressing her love and appreciation for him. She shared a photo from their special day and wrote, "Cannot believe it has been 3 years since we did the damn thing!!!! Walking on air ❤❤ I love you with my whole being, and you feed my soul❤❤ Happy Anniversary Baby❤❤."

However, as time went on, their relationship seemed to have faced challenges, leading to the recent decision to file for divorce. Their last Instagram post together was in March, where Tina shared a photo of them at a Vanity Fair Oscar Party. She captioned the post, "Never been one to waste some good light!!! so we had to sneak a picture at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party last night with my boo. @mrrichardlawson. Thanks for my Makeup @rokaelbeauty Hair @kimblehaircare styling kj@ooody and @shionat. Diamonds @lorraineschwartz. @alexandermcqueen suit."

In a previous appearance on the Tamron Hall Show, Tina said, "I’ve known Richard for 40 years, and when we reconnected, it was, just, I felt like, a gift from God. I really mean that because I prayed. After I went through a divorce, it was pretty devastating after 33 years, and I always planned on, if it was in God’s plan, to get married again because I like being married. I like being in a relationship." As the divorce proceedings unfold, both Tina and Richard will surely be surrounded by loved ones as they go through the tough times separately. 

References:

https://people.com/tina-knowles-lawson-files-for-divorce-from-richard-lawson-7566212

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFwIjN4wl9o&ab_channel=TamronHallShow

https://www.instagram.com/p/CpwVEHyuIXd/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=28838d3b-3589-490f-8ea0-9a316f4c2d2d