Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland shared a spotlight since their Destiny’s Child days and stayed close even after going their separate ways. Are they still a part of each other’s lives because they’re related, or do they simply share a bond that’s thicker than blood?
Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland are not related, but they share a really special connection. In addition to both being members of Destiny’s Child, the two singers grew up together, and they still have a strong presence in each other’s life.
Keep on reading to find out more about the sisterly bond they share, despite the fact they’re not related.
Growing Up Together
Kelly Rowland acknowledged that she had a really complicated relationship with her family growing up. She was seven or eight when she saw her father for the last time, and admitted having a “tumultuous relationship” with her mother despite the fact they had deep love for each other. Rowland spent her teenage years living with the Knowles family, and described this part of her life as “a really good time”.
She grew up alongside Beyoncé and her sister Solange, who said that Rowland and her sis were extremely close because they were the same age and it felt like she had “a built-in best friend in the house”. Rowland also had a special relationship with Tina Knowles, who even walked her down the aisle, because her mom was too ill to do it herself.
Destiny’s Child Days
Destiny’s Child is the most important thing that links Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland, because they were both members of this beloved girl group alongside Michelle Williams. Beyoncé and Rowland were so close during their childhood that people often mistook them for sisters of cousins, but they actually met at the rehearsal for girl group Girl’s Tyme, which went on to become Destiny’s Child.
They are remembered as one of the best musical trios of all time, after giving us such hit singles as “Bills, Bills, Bills”, “Say My Name”, “Survivor”, and “Bootylicious”. They scored 14 Grammy nominations, and managed to collect a total of three trophies – two for best R&B performance by a duo or group, and one for best R&B song with “Say My Name”. They parted ways in 2006, and started solo careers, but kept collaborating from time to time. Most notably, Rowland and Williams joined Beyoncé during her headlining show at Coachella in 2018.
Still Good Friends
Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland are no longer performing by each other’s side on a regular basis, but that doesn’t mean their friendship is on the rocks. They came a long way since the day they met at the Girl’s Tyme rehearsal, but Rowland still has nothing but love for Queen Bey.
“We grew up in this industry together; we’ve shared ups and downs and we are closer than ever. I can tell her anything and she’ll never judge me. She’s a real friend: genuine, loyal and trustworthy. She’s also one of the sweetest people you ever did meet,” Rowland told Marie Claire.
She also told Vogue Australia that she sees Beyoncé and Williams as her sisters, and that they still call each other when they want to have a girl’s night or need some good advice.
Beyoncé’s Siblings
Beyoncé and Rowland may share a sisterly bond, but the “Single Ladies” singer also has several biological siblings. Solange Knowles is the first that comes to mind, because she’s also a successful artist, and has one Grammy under her belt for her track “Cranes in the Sky”.
Surprisingly enough, Solange isn’t Bey’s only sister. Before divorcing Tina Knowles in 2011, the family patriarch Mathew Knowles fathered two more children – Nixon and Koi, who were both born in 2010. Tina later found love with the actor Richard Lawson, and after they tied the knot in 2015, his daughter and Queen Sugar star Bianca Lawson became Beyoncé’s step-sister.