Celebrity
Tina Knowles Claims Racism Was ‘Blatant’ at Kentucky Derby, Staff Let White Couple Cut Her in Line
Tina Knowles is calling out the Kentucky Derby, accusing staff of letting a white couple blatantly cut ahead of her on the red carpet during what she described as a “racially charged” event.
According to Daily Mail, Knowles, 71, appeared on Peacock’s docuseries, High Horse: The Black Cowboy and shared that she’s attended the Derby more than once — in 2018 and 2024 — but one encounter left her stunned.
The mother of Beyoncé and Solange says she was waiting to walk the carpet when a staffer announced it was her turn — only for another employee to block her.
“A young lady walked up and said, ‘Oh no, because we need a…,’” Knowles recalled, adding she finished the woman’s sentence herself: “A white person?”
Knowles claims the staffer then grabbed the couple behind her and ushered them onto the carpet instead.
“It’s racially charged there,” Knowles said. “There’s a lot of racially charged energy.”
Knowles says the moment was a “wake-up call” she’ll never forget.
