Kelly Rowland: '[Beyoncé] Was My Only Friend'

Kelly Rowland may be enjoying her independence as a solo artist, but there was a time when the R&B star had to lean on her fellow Destiny’s Child groupmate.

Despite constant rumors pitting them against one another, the “Grown Woman” says she and Beyoncé have remained friends. “We were always civilized,” she tells Entertainment Weekly. “That’s what I’m most proud of. From the rumors to the lawsuits to false accusations, it was really tough.”

Even when legal issues arose with former members LeToya and LaTavia, the two stayed close. “We were strong because we had each other,” she tells the magazine. “There were times when I couldn’t even be strong enough, so I had B. She was the only thing I knew. She was my only friend.”

As for the Destiny’s Child reunion that her former manager Mathew Knowles shut down, Kelly says she would be open to it “if the fans wanted it to happen.”

Rowland also admits in the article that her former label Columbia Records dropped her and it was not a mutual split as the press release stated. “In all honesty, they let me go. The records that I put out probably didn’t perform as well as maybe they wanted them to,” she reveals. “We live in an industry where you’ve got to bring in money. You can’t be pushing out so much money and not bring anything back. I get it.”

Kelly Rowland’s self-titled third solo album is due September 21 on Universal Motown, featuring the singles “Commander,” “Grown Woman,” and “Rose Colored Glasses.”