Pop superstar Beyoncé Knowles has revealed that the prayers of her mother, Tina Knowles-Lawson, are a source of comfort for her as she deals with the controversy surround her new song, "Formation."
"One of the best things about my mother is her ability to sense when I am going through a tough time," Beyoncé said during a recent interview with Elle Magazine. "She texts me the most powerful prayers, and they always come right when I need them. I know I'm tapped into her emotional Wi-Fi."
In February, the "Run the World" singer made headlines after releasing the video for her new single, which includes anti-police imagery, and performing at the Super Bowl while wearing clothing reminiscent of the Black Panther movement.
Her routine, which was applauded by Malcolm X's daughter, was condemned by a number of political leaders, including former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who accused her of using her platform to "attack police officers, who are the people who protect her and protect us and keep us alive."
The move also didn't sit well with Tampa and Miami police, who threatened to boycott the star and not patrol her arena shows scheduled in the cities later this year.
However, Beyoncé argued that the performance was simply "misunderstood."
"I'm an artist and I think the most powerful art is usually misunderstood," she explained to Elle. "But anyone who perceives my message as anti-police is completely mistaken. I have so much admiration and respect for officers and the families of officers who sacrifice themselves to keep us safe."
"But let's be clear: I am against police brutality and injustice," the "Drunk in Love" singer added. "Those are two separate things."
Although she remains a controversial figure, Beyoncé has never shied away from mentioning God throughout the years, and has credited her faith to the example of her mother.
Knowles-Lawson, now remarried to actor Richard Lawson, in a keynote address at the Texas Women's Empowerment Foundation's eighth annual Women & Money luncheon, shared her testimony and talked about growing up in the Christian faith as a Catholic.
She also said her success as a fashion designer with House of Deréon is due in part to the tough skin she gained while attending Catholic school.
"The nuns picked on us a lot, my family. I didn't understand at the time but my mom did the altar cloths. She did the altar boys' uniforms. She worked for the nuns. My dad chauffeured the nuns around. My brothers cleaned the school yard," she said. "And I often wondered why we were indentured servants to the church. And the nuns were very hard on me. They would always say, 'You really don't belong here. If you only knew, you'd be very grateful to be here. You've got a rebellious spirit. We need to take down that spirit and control it.'"
