I know this feeling. Can you imagine what it’s like being in a group with Beyoncé? I’d constantly be overthinking, like, “I can’t wear this dress because they’ll say it looks like something B would wear,” or “I can’t release this song because it sounds too much like B.”
We all know Kelly Rowland has dealt with endless comparisons to Beyoncé over the years. But has B really done enough to stop people from making these comparisons? From where some people stand, it seems like she’s being a fake friend who doesn’t care about how it affects Kelly. Could Kelly feel the same way—that Beyoncé is a fake friend? That’s exactly what we’re going to talk about, so get comfy, loves.
Child, it’s really unfortunate. Despite Kelly’s impressive achievements—winning Grammy awards, being a New York Times best-selling author, having multiple platinum records, movie accolades, and production credits—many interviews still focus on Beyoncé and Destiny’s Child. For instance, in an interview on “Ebro in the Morning” with Laura Styles and Rosenberg, the host kept insisting that Kelly came second to Beyoncé: “You happen to be standing next to the brightest light on planet Earth. Like, you think Big Boy from OutKast has it tough being next to André? You were with Beyoncé, and not only did you not fight it, it seems like you really loved the position that you were in and took it seriously.”
But do you know how Kelly responded to always being compared to Beyoncé and standing next to the brightest shining light on the planet? “Here’s the thing: light attracts light. I am light, so I am a beautiful brown shining light. So I don’t think anybody’s light dims anyone else’s. I think that when other people start to compare you, I think that that’s when it shows how dim they are of themselves. So I don’t take somebody else trying to dim my light anymore for anybody else. I love B; I know that she’s a light, but I know that I’m a light too.”
The conversation could have ended there, but the host kept pressing about Kelly’s role in Destiny’s Child. Kelly wasn’t having it. She fired back, “My sister has broken down barriers and created opportunities for so many women who look like her, who are a deeper shade than her, especially for Black women. She’s put Black women in new places. We’re thankful for that. But someone else helped her, another group helped us, and I’m doing it for other brown girls. It’s a cycle where we open doors for each other instead of comparing.” Well said, Kelly.
Recently, Kelly was asked about Beyoncé during her appearance on V103 Atlanta. She responded, “Y’all, I’m done for good.” While promoting her Netflix thriller “Mila,” host Big Tigger asked about Beyoncé’s new music and the potential for a Destiny’s Child reunion. He mentioned that Beyoncé’s new songs might include a country vibe and there were rumors that Renaissance 3 could either be rock-based or a DC reunion.
“That’s not really my place to talk about.”
What really riled Kelly was when host Jazzy McBee jumped in to explain why they were asking about Destiny’s Child. Jazzy said, “I know these questions might be getting old, but fans like me are still holding out hope for a DC and Destiny’s Child reunion. When you posted that picture, I got really excited. We just have to ask whenever we see you.”
Kelly responded sharply, “We hardly ever see each other. Seriously.”
She added, “Ask them. I’m here to talk about ‘Mila,’ and that’s what I’m excited about.” Kelly was clear about her stance, but it’s evident that the comparisons to Beyoncé have taken a toll. In fact, during a 2020 episode of “The Voice Australia,” she admitted how these comparisons affected her. She said, “I’d be lying if I said it never bothered me. For a long time, it was like this elephant in the room, always there.”
These are just a few times Kelly has been asked about Beyoncé in interviews or had to mention her. If we tried to list every single instance, we’d probably need a whole day. It must be really exhausting for her by now. Yet, some people still think Beyoncé hasn’t done enough to stop these comparisons, leading to accusations that she’s not a genuine friend.
There are even claims that Beyoncé seemed to enjoy the comparisons back in the Destiny’s Child days. For example, Farrah Franklin, a former member, once suggested that Beyoncé’s dad, Matthew Knowles, might have tried to take advantage of her. Franklin mentioned that Knowles invited her to a hotel to discuss something, which made her uncomfortable.
On “Wendy Williams,” Franklin also claimed that the other Destiny’s Child members had to darken their skin to look noticeably darker than Beyoncé, and that Beyoncé was aware of this and didn’t stop it. LaToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson also criticized Matthew Knowles for favoring Beyoncé, even going as far as to sue him. Michelle Williams talked about her struggles with depression while in the group. In 2017, she shared on “The Talk” that when she told their manager about her depression, he dismissed her concerns by saying, “You just signed a multi-million dollar deal and are about to go on tour. What do you have to be depressed about?” It made her question if she was just tired.
It’s not really Beyoncé’s fault for how management treated the other band members, but a lot of people feel she should have stood up for them, especially Kelly, who was like family to her. LaTavia once shared that Matthew’s management style was pretty tough, and Kelly, being sensitive, would often end up crying in her room.
There’s also talk that Kelly’s career struggles might be partly due to her close friendship with Beyoncé. Some fans think that Beyoncé could have done more to support Kelly when she was having a hard time in her career, even though she wasn’t obligated to. They feel like Beyoncé could have helped her friend out a bit more.
These points are part of why some people see Beyoncé as a “fake friend.” With her well-known ambition and competitiveness, some wonder if her drive to stay at the top influenced how she handled her friendship with Kelly. Whether or not you agree, it’s a perspective that’s out there.
Even though we’ve seen plenty of comparisons between Kelly and Beyoncé, some people still say Kelly was always jealous of Beyoncé. This got more attention after Kelly released “Dirty Laundry,” where she talked about feeling envious of Beyoncé’s success, her struggles going solo, and dealing with a toxic relationship. In 2023, Kelly also mentioned her biggest mistake was accidentally revealing the sex of Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s first baby. She told Bang Showbiz, “That was the worst moment ever. It was bad because it was no one’s business. I felt terrible because it’s not my news. It was honestly the worst. It wasn’t my news to share, and I didn’t mean it like that. It just kind of slipped out.” Even though Kelly said it was a mistake, some people still think she leaked the info on purpose because she was jealous.
So, what do you think? Has Beyoncé always been a fake friend to Kelly? Did she intentionally not help Kelly’s career or fail to address the comparisons that hurt her? Do you believe their friendship is genuine? Share your thoughts in the comments!
