Beyoncé's father defends her Dubai concert after backlash from LGBTQ+ community
Beyoncé's father and former manager Mathew Knowles has defended her private show in Dubai following backlash from the LGBTQ+ community.
To celebrate the opening of the brand-new resort, Atlantis The Royal, on Saturday, the superstar took to the stage in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for her first live show since 2018.
Beyoncé has come under fire from her fans in the LGBTQ+ community for performing in the conservative country, where homosexuality is illegal.
In response, Mathew told TMZ on Tuesday that his daughter "united a really diverse crowd with her incredible performance overseas, bringing people closer, as she does best."
He insisted that "she gave respect and got respect back from the country" during her performance and said those who accused her of selling out by accepting the gig had a "narrow-minded view".
The former Destiny's Child manager, who attended the concert, also assured fans that Beyoncé has "always stood for inclusiveness" and would "never do something to deliberately hurt someone".
The Crazy in Love singer was reportedly paid $24 million (£19.5 million) for the private show, which attracted a star-studded audience including Kendall Jenner, Rebel Wilson, Ellen Pompeo, and Letitia Wright.
She performed hits including Drunk in Love, Halo, Countdown and Naughty Girl, and brought her 11-year-old daughter Blue Ivy Carter onstage for the live debut of their song BROWN SKIN GIRL.
Some fans criticised Beyoncé for not performing any tracks from her 2022 album Renaissance, and Mathew told those critics to be patient as she is planning to tour that record.
