‘Don’t Assume Someone Is Dissing You’: Tina Knowles Lawson Thanks Method Man for Apologizing to Destiny’s Child

Method Man is good in Tina Knowles Lawson’s book after the legendary rapper issued a lengthy overdue apology to her daughter and the ladies of Destiny’s Child after mistreating them during a 2001 celebration in honor of Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Janet Jackson. 

Tina shared a brief clip from the nearly 12-minute-long interview featuring the Wu-Tang Clan during his appearance on the “My Expert Opinion” podcast with host Math Hoffa. 

Don't Assume Someone Is Dissing You': Tina Knowles Lawson Thanks Method Man for Apologizing to Destiny?s Child
Tina Knowles Lawson (L) and Method Man (R). Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images, Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for STARZ

“Thank you, Method Man,” the former hairdresser wrote in her post before declaring, “It takes a real man to tell this story! Such a great example for other young men.” She added,” Don’t assume someone is dissing you !” before tagging the rapper. 

In the video, the New York native recalled seeing the ladies Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. They by then had been reduced to a trio, and he went over to to say hi as they were surrounded by several of pop culture’s most prominent stars. 

The “C.R.E.A.M.” emcee noted that the incident occurred in his “low self-esteem era.” He continued, “But I’m thinking like, comfort zone here; I’m gonna say what’s up to the girls. I love them, I’m just gonna say hi. I go over to say hi to them, and when I said hi they didn’t even turn around and acknowledge me.”

Although they didn’t acknowledge him then, Method said he ultimately met the girls that night but said when “they put their hands out to shake, and I kept my hand here and was like, ‘Go ’head with that Hollywood sh-t.’”

The actor, born Clifford Smith Jr., shared that he was hurt at that moment but acknowledged his own fault, stating, “But me being so miserable and in that f–king moment, I felt like they wasn’t treating me the way I should have been treated.”

He continued, “Who am I to think that about these girls? They’re here to promote themselves and break records and things of that nature. And it was not about me; it was about Janet f–king Jackson. And to this day, man, I don’t think I’ve ever apologized for that.” He added, “I didn’t like myself, so I didn’t like anybody f–king else. So that meant anything that would have come in my circumference at that point in time was gonna get it.”

Ms. Lawson wasn’t the only person praising Meth for the mature gesture. One social media user wrote, “It’s so many folks out here that’s goin through that stage/ faze in life! It takes a lot of courage and growth to apologize when wrong!” Another person commented, “Respect!!! It’s never too late.”

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Back to top