Who is Tina Knowles ex-husband Richard Lawson? All we know as Beyoncé’s mom confirms new relationship following divorce

Tina Knowles, mother of music superstars Beyoncé and Solange, has confirmed that she is back in the dating world following her split in 2023 from Richard Lawson, a well-regarded actor famous for his roles in Poltergeist, For Colored Girls, and the television series Dynasty. Richard Lawson, who co-founded the WACO Theater Center, was married to Knowles in 2015 and divorced in 2023.

Speaking for the first time after her dating announcement, Knowles, who was featured in PEOPLE magazine’s “World’s Most Beautiful” issue, has said that she is “spending time with a friend,” who, according to her, is “a very nice gentleman.” She went on to say that “we’ll see what happens."

From friendship to marriage

Knowles and Richard Lawson had known each other for many years before their relationship became romantic. During the year 2015, they celebrated their marriage in a private ceremony aboard a yacht in Newport Beach, California, with her daughters and close friends present. Lawson brought his one daughter, actress Bianca Lawson, into the blended family.

Why she split with Richard Lawson

The two separated in silence in 2023 after Knowles filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. Later, she discussed the separation in her memoir, Matriarch, as well as during her tell-all interview with PEOPLE, where she shared that though the marriage’s dissolution was hurtful, it was equally empowering.

“Love is patient, love is kind. Love is also not a competition or mired in jealousy,” she writes. “I made the decision to divorce with a heavy heart but totally without malice, and I have not lost a night of sleep over it.”

She made sure to highlight that the decision was her own because of growth and self-reflection.

“Age, experience, confidence—a lot of things” made moving on easier, she told PEOPLE.

A life of resilience and renewal

In The Matriarch, Knowles for the first time discusses the 31-year-long marriage she had to her first husband, Mathew Knowles, and opens up about the hurt his long-term infidelities caused.

“I was caught in this dance with him, each doing the same steps over and over,” she writes. “He would cheat or act up, and I would say I’d had enough. He would beg for forgiveness, crying and promising to get better… But this is what married people did, I told myself.”

After mentally exhausting reinventions, Knowles is now stepping into this new phase with passion.

“It’s fun looking sexy. It makes me feel sexy,” she told PEOPLE. “I’m making the best of every day that I have left in this life.”

What’s next for Tina Knowles

Tina Knowles, 71, looks to be fully immersed in a new life chapter. She seems to be appropriately stepping into a world beyond just a mother and fashionista with the release of her memoir, Matriarch.

Amidst all this, Knowles can also be found indulging herself freely without any attachments, as is her new persona. In the PEOPLE interview, she also spoke about newfound confidence and sensuality.

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“Just getting all dressed up and done up, makeup, hair… putting on something that fits well,” she said.

Tina claims to be “making the best out of every day,” envisioning herself in vibrant colors, so it comes off as a surprise that she actually needs any such ornamentation while saying she “has every day,” spearheading stories around family or new exciting relations, reinventing herself, and proving her words that life in the 70s isn't dull but vibrant.

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