Tina Knowles wants you to know—her granddaughter Rumi is having the time of her life on tour with her mama, Beyoncé, and big sister Blue Ivy.
During the New York City stop of her Matriarch book tour, Knowles sat down with CBS anchor Gayle King and opened up about life on the road with her famous family and the viral moments fans can’t stop replaying.
“It was actually fun, it was exciting,” Knowles said with a laugh, recalling Rumi’s appearance onstage during the Cowboy Carter tour. “My granddaughter, Rumi…I said, ‘How do you feel when you wave at everybody?’ She said, ‘It feels powerful!’”
“She’s like a little ball of sunshine—she’s so excited to see the audience,” Gayle King added.
But it was a particular moment that drew social media chatter: a video clip of Rumi trying to get Beyoncé’s attention while onstage, only to be gently ushered aside by her grandmother.
Gayle joked about the exchange, saying, “You went, excuse you! [You] did like a mama bear move, like, stand aside little girl for just a second! Did you see that video?”
Knowles smiled and responded, “That video…it’s very funny. People have written all kinds of narratives about it, but it was real. Yes. I mean, it’s real life, you know—Grandmas don’t play,” she chuckled.
“She was reaching for the mic because she wanted to say something. And I realized that when she was pulling, I was like, ‘Oh God, the last thing we need is the mic hitting her in the face—and then everyone’s like, Beyoncé hit her in the face!’” she said, laughing along with the crowd.
That ability to shake off public scrutiny and stay grounded is central to the message of “Matriarch,” Knowles’ new memoir. In the book, she shares her journey from growing up in segregated Galveston, Texas, to raising daughters who would become cultural icons.
Knowles says the book started as a personal keepsake. “The reason why I got started writing is for me—not to publish it—but just to leave it for my great-grandchildren,” she told TheGrio. “I never met my grandparents, and my kids never met my mom.”
And if confidence is one of the legacies she’s passing on, Rumi appears to be catching it early.
Following in Blue Ivy’s footsteps, Rumi has become a fan favorite during Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour appearances. And her grandmother is here for it.
“The way [Rumi] watches Blue and mirrors her every move… you can tell she’s taking notes,” Knowles said in a recent Instagram post. “She doesn’t just want to join the legacy…she wants to SLAY it too! One day she’s gonna cut loose and walk down the runway—you watch!! Rumi is also a great songwriter already! She will be a force to be reckoned with. Just wait!”
Read more of our exclusive interview with Tina Knowles in our TheGrio Book Club section.
