Beyoncé's longtime production manager fired after health collapse, daughter says

Beyoncé’s former production manager fired after collapse

A TikTok user claims Beyoncé fired her father, a longtime stage and production manager, after he suffered a health collapse. The user, Mairi, says her father, Terry Cooley, was let go following surgery and given no severance after over 20 years of work.

Mairi posted the video to her account, @mairicool, which has roughly 4,000 followers. She said she had considered sharing the story for years and is now "at the point, why not?”

Two decades of work for the pop star

Terry Cooley worked for Beyoncé since her Destiny’s Child days, serving as her stage and production manager. Mairi stated that during tours, he worked 22-hour days.

“They decided that he couldn’t keep up,” Mairi said in the video, explaining he was fired after he collapsed and needed surgery. “They cut him loose and fired him after 20-something years of service. After he gave his health and his body to helping her succeed.”

Financial and emotional fallout alleged

Mairi claims the firing has led to significant hardship. “Here we are in 2026, and my dad has been out of work for a few years,” she said. “Where we’re at now is my dad is suffering financially and he’s suffering emotionally.”

She detailed additional financial strain, noting Cooley experienced sporadic pay when tours halted during the pandemic, which forced the family to sell their home. She also said he never received severance or even a get-well card from Beyoncé’s camp.

Mixed reaction from TikTok viewers

The video drew a flood of comments, with many expressing support for Mairi and her father. One user suggested, “Tell him to write a book called behind the stage or something like that.”

Another comment framed the situation as a corporate failure, writing, “Beyoncé is a business. They should have retirement packages for employees like him.”

However, some viewers defended Beyoncé, with one stating, “you walk away with what you earn. That’s the downside of passion, and unfortunately it’s the risk you take when you work outside of the traditional business structure.”

Beyoncé’s team has not commented

Mairi called on viewers to tag Beyoncé to “make things right” and “maybe apologize.” As of now, there has been no public response from Beyoncé or her representatives to the claims.

Newsweek reported it reached out to Beyoncé’s publicist for comment via email but has not received a response. The pop star recently completed her Cowboy Carter tour in July of last year, with no new tour dates officially announced.