Beyoncé’s mother Tina Knowles called basketball great Charles Barkley out for talking dirty about her beloved city, Galveston, Texas.
Knowles, who was born and raised in Galveston, was upset after watching a clip of the former 76er talking about the beaches in her hometown on NBA on TNT.
When the New Orleans Pelicans fell behind 3-0 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the NBA playoffs, Barkley said that instead of the usual “Going to Cancun” phrase used for teams facing elimination, the Pelicans should be facing to “Going to Galveston.”
“We’re not even going to send them to Cancun, we gone send them to Galveston with that dirty a– water be washed up on the shore”, Barkley said between chuckles from his co-host Shaquille O’Neal. “Peoples think they in the beach.”
“Nah, we not getting them a plane ticket to the beach, we send their a– to Galveston, Texas. Right where that dirty water washed up on the beach. Can’t even get in the water,” he continued, adding a smug smirk on his face.
Ms. Tina seemingly wiped that smirk off of the 1993 NBA MVP’s mouth when she took to Instagram and sent a message to the sports analyst.
“Chuck we don’t play about Galveston Texas ! You better watch it sucker!” she wrote in her caption.
“Our water might not be blue,” she continued, “But it is still the beach and we love it! In fact , what you probably don’t Know is It’s an Island !! Yes me and @angiebeyince still rock our BOI necklaces ( Born On The Island).”
Ms. Knowles went on to say that she saw the clip after her son in law, Jay-Z sent it to her and her niece, Angie Beyince.
“He asked us if we’re gonna let him [Barkley] talk about our city like that!” she recalled.
Likewise, Angie posted on her personal Instagram profile.
“@shaq & @charleswbarkley why y’all gotta do me & my Aunt @mstinaknowles home town like that!!” the caption on the post read in part.
She later added, “#galveston for years Ive joked with @jayz to let me pay for the entire family vaca… but it’s going to be in Galveston… 20 years later …. He hasn’t excepted my offer…. Yet.”
Fans weighed in on the posts on various platforms.
“Charles Barkley just obliterated Galveston Tx on national TV,” a tweet read.
Charles Barkley just obliterated Galveston Tx on national TV 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/tJ1rqBhrW9
— Marcus Allen (@MarcussGun) April 27, 2024
“I’m crying because he’s not lying he whole shoreline of TX is disappointing until you get to South Padre Island and that’s even mid,” a person wrote on Instagram.
“Jay Z is an instigator lmaooo. He sent Beyoncé’s mom the video of Charles Barkley dissing Galveston,” another wrote on the X platform.
Her family publicist, Yvette Noel Schure, hopped in Ms. Tina’s comments and said, “Hahaha! Chuck is in trouble now. I love how you love Galveston Ms. Tina!”
During his Sunday night episode of the show, right before tipoff of the Minnesota Timberwolves versus Phoenix Suns playoff game, Barkley walked back his statements and apologized for the rude comment on the show.
“Ms. Knowles, I don’t want that smoke. I don’t want the Beyhive and Jay after Chuck,” he joked. Then while looking in the camera, he said, “Ms. Knowles, I apologize.”
Chuck: "I don't want that smoke. I don't want the Beyhive and Jay after me."
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 28, 2024
Chuck apologizes to Beyonce's mom for talking about Galveston 😂 pic.twitter.com/yJicorY0dG
Fans were swift to chime in about his apology.
Many of them got a good laugh after finding out that Jay-Z was the alleged “instigator” in the pseudo-beef. Others saluted him for waving his white flag. “Beyhive woulda finished him. Smart move,” onr person’s comment read.
But Ms. Tina is no stranger to snapping at any one who seems to want that smoke with business, her family and now her city.
Followers only have to go back a few months ago, when she destroyed haters who claimed Beyoncé didn’t have naturally long hair growing from her scalp.
In February, the mama bear was one of the first to come to her mega-star daughter’s defense, when white country music lovers were vocally furious that her Black daughter made a hit album, “Cowboy Carter,” in the genre. Making her one of the most dominant figures in the space — despite her spending most of her career in R&B and pop.
Ms. Tina seemed lighthearted about her comments and gave dog whistles to the fans not to drag him. Perhaps, she was so gracious by saying she can take a joke because she understood how easily social media can blow small things up.
In January, she accidentally liked a post that spoken negatively about Janet Jackson. Fans thought she was being messy. Understanding the power of the internet, she extended grace to the controversial personality.
