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The musical fraternity was shocked when Beyoncé fired her father, Mathew Knowles, from the position of manager in March 2011. Although Queen Bey commented that it was totally professional, her father took the case to court a few months later.
Mathew Knowles was one of the founding members of Queen Bey's first girl band, Destiny's Child. At the time, he was working as a medical equipment salesman but left his job to become a full-time manager for his daughter and source recording deals for her.
According to a legal complaint filed by Mathew, Beyoncé fired him because she got evidence from an audit firm that Mathew was stealing from her tour fund. However, Beyoncé maintained that it had nothing to do with their personal bond and was purely a business decision.
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In July 2011, Mathew Knowles filed a legal complaint claiming that Live Nation Entertainment convinced his daughter that Mathew had stolen money from her recent tours. Mathew Knowles denied the claims and filed a complaint to get permission to question Live Nation about their business relationship with Beyoncé and Jay-Z.
Mathew Knowles' topsy-turvy relationship with Beyoncé over the years explored
Beyoncé has maintained that she is very close to her father, Mathew Knowles, despite several fishy interactions and a public lawsuit. Mathew Knowles was the singer's first manager when she founded Destiny's Child, along with Kelly Rowland, LeToya Luckett, and LaTavia Roberson.
After quitting his previous job as a medical equipment salesman, Mathew took full responsibility for Destiny's Child. He would manage, source record deals, and even produce for the newly developed girl group.
However, Mathew would not spare the rod and was allegedly very strict with the girls. In an interview with The Mirror in 2011, LaTavia Roberson recalled Mathew Knowles subjecting the group to some harsh criticism.
"Mathew did not mince his words and it can be tough to take that kind of criticism when you are a little girl. We would try not to let it break us," confided LaTavia.
In March 2011, Beyoncé declared that his father would not manage her anymore. However, the 32-time Grammy winner stressed that it was a purely professional decision and had nothing to do with their father-daughter dynamic. In an exclusive statement with Us Magazine the same year, she said:
"I’ve only parted ways with my father on a business level. He is my father for life, and I love my dad dearly. I am grateful for everything he has taught me. I grew up watching both he and my mother manage and own their own businesses. They were hard-working entrepreneurs and I will continue to follow in their footsteps.”
The explanation finally came in July when Mathew Knowles filed a legal complaint claiming that her daughter was under the impression that the 72-year-old stole from her during one of her 2011 world tours.
According to the report, Mathew Knowles claimed that Live Nation Entertainment convinced the Grammy winner that her father "had stolen money from Beyonce on her most recent tour or otherwise taken funds that [he] was not entitled to."
The report also stated that Queen Bey conducted an audit by a reputed firm after the accusations. When the audit confirmed that Mathew had stolen money from his daughter, she fired him. Mathew Knowles stressed that the accusations were false and asked for the judge's permission to take depositions of Live Nation's executives.
After firing her father, Beyoncé founded Parkwood Entertainment, a company that still manages the singer.
In the same year, Mathew Knowles also confirmed his divorce from Beyoncé's mother, Tina Knowles, after almost thirty years of togetherness. According to legal documents, the two separated because of a lack of 'reasonable expectation of reconciliation' because of a 'discord or conflict of personalities.'
Two years after the divorce, Mathew Knowles married Gena Charmaine Avery. However, neither Beyoncé nor her sister Solange were able to attend the wedding. In an interview for US Magazine, Mathew explained that they had prior engagements and, therefore, couldn't attend the wedding.
