Happy birthday to Beyoncé Knowles Carter! The internationally-acclaimed superstar, wife of Jay-Z, and mom of Blue Ivy and twins Rumi and Sir turns 39 today, and it’s hard to believe how much the star has accomplished in under four decades. And while we’re fully open to the idea that Beyoncé has superhuman powers, there’s one aspect of the team behind Black Is King singer’s success that we’ve always been curious about. Behind every great mom is a dedicated #MomSquad there to compare products, share tips, and vent about the sanity-threatening experience of bringing a whole dang person into this world. And we know that Beyoncé didn’t do this without her mom friends’ help — so, who does Bey call to ask about 8-year-old Blue Ivy’s iPad use or potty training Rumi and Sir? We’re taking an up-close look at all of Ms. Carter’s best mom friends who helped make her the woman and parent she is today.
The truth is, you don’t have to look far to see where Beyoncé finds her inspiration as a mom. The singer’s made it clear over the years that family is of the utmost importance to her, and it’s obvious to see how much she treasures her bond with mom Tina Knowles and sister Solange Knowles, both of whom are in Bey’s inner circle. Other longtime mom friends include fellow Destiny’s Child alum Kelly Rowland and singer Alicia Keys, who she’s known since the age of 13.
Read on to see all the other famous moms Beyoncé relies on behind the scenes.
Michelle Obama
The Obamas and the Carters have always been close, with Beyoncé performing at their 2008 inauguration and becoming fast friends ever since. When Michelle was honored for Time’s 100 Most Influential People, Beyoncé wrote an essay expressing her admiration.
“I’m honored to know such a brilliant black woman who’s spoken about the sacrifice it takes to balance her passions while remaining a supportive partner and mother,” Beyoncé wrote. “She has continued to open herself up, even if it meant being criticized. She has continued to be a portrait of grace.”
And that means when Beyoncé goes on tour, the whole family gets tickets — Sasha and Malia too.
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow and Beyoncé’s friendship goes way, way back — chilling at the 2007 Oscars, hanging at Bey & Jay-Z’s 2008 wedding, and watching each other’s kids throughout the 2010s. Paltrow once mentioned that her daughter Apple and son Moses called the couple “Uncle Jay” and “Auntie B,” while Beyoncé has gushed about their similar parenting styles.
“She is incredible; she’s a great friend on every level,” Beyoncé shared. “I think for us, protecting our daughters is so important and…keeping things on our own terms, so I will still be protective and make sure [Blue Ivy] has a childhood and a great time.”
These two may or may not have had a falling out in the past five years — the last we can confirm is that Apple and Blue were hanging out during the 2016 Super Bowl.
Tina Knowles
Of course, Beyoncé’s own mom comes first on this list: Tina Knowles, the woman without whom none of this would be possible. It’s hard to think of a part of Beyoncé’s life she hasn’t inspired — Tina was a singer herself, helped design the costumes for Destiny’s Child, and has launched non-profits and clothing lines alongside her daughter, who has only built on the notion of a strong Black female dynasty beginning with mom Tina.
We also know that grandma Tina and Blue share a very special bond — and that Beyoncé has good reason to look up to her mom’s parenting. Tina once revealed that she put both her daughters in therapy when Bey’s star began to rise to help the family adjust: “My family was like, ”you’re going to make them crazy because they’re too young for you to take them’. But I wanted Beyoncé to be sensitive to the fact that Solange had to deal with being a little bit in her shadow. And it made her way more sensitive and protective. And they’re still fiercely protective of each other.”
Solange Knowles
Beyoncé’s younger sister Solange has been a constant in her life (thanks to mom’s meddling!) — though their super-close bond didn’t form until their teen years, given the complicated dynamics of both their early paths into stardom. But these days, they’re each other’s biggest fans and supporters.
“I’m so happy to interview you because, clearly, I’m your biggest fan and I’m super proud of you,” Beyoncé told Solange for Interview in 2017. “I remember thinking, ‘My little sister is going to be something super special,’ because you always seemed to know what you wanted.”
While Solange may be the younger sister, she was the first to become a mom, welcoming son Daniel in 2004. So big sister Bey may have had her turn to listen and learn when she got pregnant with Blue in 2011.
Kelly Rowland
Kelly Rowland and Beyoncé, two-thirds of Destiny’s Child, met when they were just 9 years old and auditioning for Girl’s Tyme, the girl’s group they both joined. They became so close that Rowland lived with the Knowles family for years, and now considers Bey more like family.
In 2016, Rowland told E! News that her son Titan considers Blue Ivy like a cousin. “It’s the sweetest thing. It’s the greatest thing about friendship when you’re able to grow up together and your children are able to grow up together and it’s just years upon years of beautiful friendship and sisterhood.”
La La Anthony
La La Anthony has lots of friends in high places, and she’s been named a close personal friend of Kim Kardashian, Vanessa Bryant, Ciara, and Beyoncé. Some suspect that it’s her knack for total privacy that lets her get close to these stars — when asked what she wore to Beyoncé’s famous push party in 2017, she replied “A beautiful belly.” And that is that!
La La’s son Kiyan, 13, is older than Bey’s eldest Blue, which means she must have been especially helpful when Bey was a first-time mom.
Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys has known Beyoncé since she was 13 years old, and these two friends are still close, memorably getting together for both Jay’s 2015 Tidal party and Keys’ husband Swizz Beatz’s 40th birthday in 2019. After that party, which took place at a skating rink, Swizz Beatz apparently blamed Beyoncé for why he broke his arm — the skating tricks she was doing looked so good, he tried to copy her and promptly crashed to the ground. Oops!
The bonus? Keys’ 9-year-old son Egypt and 5-year-old son Genesis are the perfect ages to play with Blue, Rumi, and Sir.
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