Beyonce’s Father, Mathew Knowles, Reveals Battle With Breast Cancer

By Jem Aswad

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Mathew Knowles, father and former manager of Beyonce and Solange, revealed that he was recently diagnosed with breast cancer in an interview with ABC’s “Good Morning America” that aired Wednesday. He underwent treatment over the summer.

Knowles, 67, told host Michael Strahan, “I’m doing really good, Michael. I had my surgery the last week of July, and now I’m doing all the stuffs for recovery.” Knowles said he and his wife had noticed a recurring dot of blood on his shirts and bedsheets. He contacted his doctor, was examined and diagnosed with breast cancer.

Knowles said he immediately called his family after the diagnosis. “That was the very first call, because this is genetics,” he said. “It also means that my kids have a higher chance, a higher risk. Even my grandkids have a higher risk. They handled it like they should — they went on and got the test.

Knowles said he has stopped drinking alcohol and is exercising regularly. “I just wanted to have a clean bill of health.”

While breast cancer is more commonly associated with women, Knowles said he wanted to urge men, especially black men, who are more susceptible to the disease, to be more aware and get tested.

“I learned that the numbers that we have for men on breast cancer are not adequate because we don’t have enough men that come forward that take the exam,” Knowles said. “I’m hoping by me coming here today, speaking out, letting folks know that you can survive this, but it has to be early detection. I can’t over emphasize the word ‘early.’”

Strahan said that his own brother was diagnosed with breast cancer and was treated in 2015.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.

“Things that used to be important are not important to me now,” Knowles said to Strahan. “[I] just look at the world differently.”