Why Beyoncé Gets "Really Mean" Backstage on Tour, Her Mom Says
Ava White
Published Feb 22, 2026
Beyoncé is one of the biggest musical acts in the world and she just headlined a record-setting concert tour. But, that doesn't mean that she still doesn't get a talking to from her mom every now and then. In a new interview on Sherri, Tina Knowles said that Beyoncé can be "really mean" backstage during shows. She explained, though, that there is a good reason for why she gets so touchy and that her daughter always apologizes afterward.
RELATED: Critics Are Calling for Beyoncé to Be Canceled After Controversial Live Performance.
Knowles appeared on the Renaissance Tour-themed Halloween episode of Sherri, which featured both host Sherri Shepherd and Knowles dressed up like Beyoncé. In her interview, Knowles opened up about the tour, including her involvement—as Beyoncé's former costume designer, she still helped with styling for this tour—and watching her granddaughter, Blue Ivy Carter, dance on stage. She also revealed that Beyoncé can get "mean" behind the scenes.
Shepherd asked, "Have you ever had to say to Beyoncé, 'Look girl, you better watch that tone?'" Knowles responded, "Oh, all the time! All the time. I'm like, I'm the momma here. And still to this day, because my kids, they're bossy like everybody's kids and they start thinking that they're my momma."
Later in the interview, the 69-year-old designer said that it's especially an issue in high-stress situations backstage at her daughter's shows. "We laughed about this recently because I was saying, 'Girl, you get really mean back there.' I am really happy that I don't have to be back there anymore, because I used to do the quick change." There are several moments in Beyoncé's tour when she has to change costumes behind-the-scenes in a matter of seconds.
Knowles said that Beyoncé would be apologetic to her after the shows. "After we get out, she'll say, 'Momma, I'm so sorry.' And I'm like, 'I know.' And sometimes she'd be crying. I was like, 'She crying 'cause she knows she just said some crazy stuff to us.' But that's the heat of the moment." Knowles explained that having to change costumes during concerts is really stressful, so she understands where her daughter's feelings were coming from. "If somebody is messing up and your lose the shoes, you mess up the whole show, so I understand it," she told Shepherd.
In the same interview, Knowles also shared the advice she gave her daughters—in addition to Beyoncé, she's mother to singer Solange—when they were younger. "My mom always told me, 'You got to be as cute on the inside as the outside' … That's how she said it. I've always taught them it's so much easier to just be a good person and to be nice and not to get caught up in all of this. Because it's fleeting, it's going to pass. Your looks, they're going … Those things fade, and it's what's in your heart."
Beyoncé recently wrapped her Renaissance World Tour on Oct. 1 after playing 56 shows around the world beginning in May. The tour is the eighth highest-grossing concert tour ever, and the second highest-grossing for a woman performer.
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Lia Beck Lia Beck is a writer living in Richmond, Virginia. In addition to Best Life, she has written for Refinery29, Bustle, Hello Giggles, InStyle, and more.Read moreFiled UnderCelebrities • Entertainment • Music • NewsRead This NextBeyoncé Is Facing Calls for Cancellation
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