Beyonce’s mum Tina Knowles dishes about her dating life post-divorce: ‘I am spending time with…’

Beyoncé’s mum, Tina Knowles — queen mother of the Carter dynasty, haircare maven behind Cécred, and certified baddie at 71 — has some tea to spill for fans across the world. In this week’s World’s Most Beautiful issue of PEOPLE, Tina Knowles didn’t just pose looking radiant, she also casually let slip that she’s back in the dating game. “I am spending time with a friend,” she said with that signature Southern sweetness. And apparently that friend is “a very nice gentleman.” Translation: he better be treating her like the divine goddess she is, or Solange’s next elevator moment might be more public.

It’s been nearly two years since Tina finalised her divorce from actor Richard Lawson, whom she married in 2015. “Love is patient, love is kind,” she wrote in her memoir, Matriarch. “Love is also not a competition or mired in jealousy.” She made it clear: she walked away with grace, not bitterness, and hasn’t lost a wink of sleep since. Contrarily, her first marriage to Mathew Knowles — father to Beyoncé and Solange — was a 31-year emotional marathon filled with betrayals, forgiveness, and that painful, slow-motion exit so many women will recognise. “I was caught in this dance with him, each doing the same steps over and over: He would cheat or act up, and I would say I’d had enough. He would beg for forgiveness, crying and promising to get better… But this is what married people did, I told myself.”

Still, Tina’s not one to wallow. In fact, she’s got her eyes set firmly forward, and heels to match. Reflecting on what made it easier to move on from her second marriage, she says it simply: “Age, experience, confidence, a lot of things.” And now? She’s dating. She’s glowing. She’s feeling sexy. “Just getting all dressed up and done up, makeup, hair. You know, putting on something that fits well. It’s fun looking sexy. It makes me feel sexy,” she says.

So, whether you asked or not, consider yourself updated. Beyoncé’s mom is out here living her best, most flirtatious chapter yet. And honestly? We’re here for every fabulous minute of it.