Tina Knowles explains how Beyoncé was bullied

Before she was Cowboy Carter and even before she was Sasha Fierce, Beyoncé Knowles was in school like everyone else, and while it’s hard to imagine anyone with the nerve to do so, she was bullied because she was shy. Beyoncé’s mother Tina Knowles has opened up about how the woman we now know as Queen B wasn’t always the confident, scene-stealing, Grammy-winning mega-star we all know and love . Instead, she was quiet and reserved, making her a target for bullies. Reflecting on the upbringings of Beyoncé, Solange and Kelly Rowland, Knowles became emotional remembering how different they were when they were young and how far they have come.

“Beyoncé, she was very shy and she got picked on a little bit,” Knowles explained in a video interview with Vogue. “But the day she stood up for someone – she didn’t stand up for herself, but she stood up for him, I get emotional talking about it – I couldn’t have been more proud.”

Knowles also mentioned that her daughter Solange has “always been an activist,” since elementary school.

“Solange, she was only in fifth grade and she was signing petitions,” Tina added. “So she’s always been an activist.”

And as for Rowland, whom Knowles sometimes calls her adopted daughter, Tina remembers her as someone who kept a level head.

“I remember her being this little peacemaker,” she said.

Knowles shared the video on her Instagram feed, adding the caption: “Every child is different! But everything is so special. I believe children are born with their personalities. My three daughters have all handled things very differently. Learn their personalities and respect individuality.

She went on to say that she loves bragging about her kids and sees it as a way to encourage them, whatever their passions.

“Never compare negatives, always praise positive differences, and be careful about things you can brag about,” she added. “They love it and it encourages positive behavior.”

In 2021, Beyoncé said she was shy as a child. She noted that she doesn’t regret being a shy person and that it actually taught her empathy. Of course, these days she’s anything but shy.

“I am now grateful for those shy years of silence,” she said Harper’s Bazaar. “Being shy taught me empathy and gave me the ability to connect and build relationships with people. I’m not shy anymore, but I’m not sure I would dream as big as I dream today without these difficult years in my life.