Mathew Knowles Says Farrah Franklin Abandoned $50Mil When She Quit Destiny's Child

BY Erika Marie 20.2K Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
Brenda Chase/Getty Images
Destiny's Child
She said she couldn't handle the workload.

Destiny's Child has had quite a few members, but from beginning to end there has always been Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland. During one rotation of singers, Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin were the two new girls on the block, but before fans could get used to Farrah's presence, she disappeared from sight.

Brenda Chase Online USA, Inc./Getty Images

"Farrah had no idea that this required being a member of the No. 1 female group in the world, [that this] required this amount of work, this amount of dedication, and commitment," Mathew Knowles told VladTV. "She just didn't know it required that. That's the number one reason why. We can say all the other things, she was partying a lot. I think she said she was sick. But at the end of the day, she had no idea that it required this amount of work."

Vlad mentions that in his book, Mathew wrote that while the girls were on tour, Michelle let him know that Farrah was sneaking out at night to hit up the clubs. The host called Michelle a snitch, but Mathew said she "was looking at the bigger picture," which was "what was best for the group." He said the girls always saw themselves as a team so he admired her for stepping forward and wouldn't consider her to be a snitch.

How Farrah parted ways with Destiny's Child is still a mystery, but Mathew shared his version of the story. According to him, Beyoncé and Michelle had "repeatedly" called Farrah but couldn't get ahold of her. There was an event scheduled in Seattle with the city's top pop radio station and they needed Farrah to take to the stage, but because she ghosted them all, the ladies performed as a trio.

The group headed to Los Angeles to hop on a flight to Sydney, Australia for another show, and once they landed at LAX, Farrah finally picked up the phone and told them she quit the group. According to Mathew, when Farrah decided to give up her Destiny's Child life, she turned her back on $50 million because she didn't like how he would occasionally "get loud" with her. Watch Mathew's clip below.


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.