I'm Always Authentic

The star opens up about keeping it real and setting a good example for her kids

Kelly Rowland credits three things with helping her maintain her impressive almost-30-year career: hard work, kindness and authenticity. “Those are what come to mind when I think about what you need in this industry,” says the Destiny’s Child singer. She put being true to herself to the test recently. In February, she backed out of a guest-hosting gig on Today reportedly because the show did not provide a suitable dressing room. And in May, the 43-year-old star appeared to clash with an usher as she made her way up the red-carpet steps at the Cannes Film Festival. Kelly addressed that incident head-on, saying in part: “I have a boundary, and I stand by those boundaries. There were other women that attended that carpet who did not quite look like me, and they didn’t get scolded or pushed off or told to get off. I stood my ground.” Here, Kelly — who recently teamed with WaterWipes, the world’s purest baby wipes — talks to In Touch’s Fortune Benatar about show business, motherhood (she shares Titan, 9, and Noah, 3, with her talent manager husband of 10 years, Tim Weatherspoon) and integrity.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your career?

KR: I always say be kind to people. You never know how things are going to go. I have met so many executives who used to be assistants, and now they run these beautiful companies. It’s so beautiful to watch people grow and evolve, and you just have this space to be happy for them.