Beyoncé's Lemonade: Mathew Knowles addresses album

Mathew Knowles called into SiriusXM Monday night to discuss the rumors

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Photo: SGranitz/WireImage

Since Beyoncé shared her new visual album, Lemonade, Saturday, speculation has run rampant about the record’s inspiration. Many point to the alleged infidelity of her husband Jay Z, while another theory draws parallels to her father Mathew Knowles, who divorced from Beyoncé’s mother Tina in 2011 after cheating on her.

Knowles called into SiriusXM Monday night to address the rumors. ““There’s no way that we can get into the mind of Beyoncé. Only Beyoncé can answer who she specifically is talking to,” he told Make It Plain host Mark Thompson. “I’d rather not get into speculation, so my answer is I don’t know. I can only speak of being a proud father. I think Beyoncé pushed the envelope of creativity on this HBO special.” He added, “I know the response you want to get. You’re not going to get that response.”

Beyoncé’s relationship with her father has been fodder for tabloids since her Destiny’s Child days when he managed the group. (He also managed Beyoncé during the beginnings of her solo career.) In 2011, the two parted ways professionally. Though the break marked the same year her parents finalized their divorce, both parties stated the managerial split was mutual.

Throughout Lemonade, Beyoncé makes frequent allusions to her father. The song “Daddy Lessons” most directly references Knowles, though she also seems to liken him to Jay Z during a spoken word refrain: “You remind me of my father, A magician. Able to exist in two places at once. In the tradition of men in my blood, you come home at 3 a.m. and lie to me. What are you hiding?”

Knowles also appears several times in the hour-long visual. In one shot, he’s pictured speaking with a young Bey, while a newer clip shows him playing with her daughter Blue Ivy on a bed.

Listen to the full SiriusXM interview with Knowles below.

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