The music superstar’s mother, Tina Knowles, reacted to Sydney Hardeman’s tragic passing just months before her wedding.

Beyoncé fan known for her reaction to singer’s Coachella performance dies at 25

The music superstar's mother, Tina Knowles, reacted to Sydney Hardeman's tragic passing just months before her wedding.

By Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman is a news writer for with previous work in MUBI Notebook, Slant, and the LA Review of Books.

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November 16, 2025 7:44 p.m. ET

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Sydney Hardeman and Beyoncé in 2018. Credit:

Netflix;Kevin Winter/Getty

The Beyhive has suffered a tragic loss.

Sydney Hardeman, the Beyoncé fan who went viral for her response to the musician's 2018 Coachella performance, has died at 25.

Hardeman's mother confirmed to TMZ on Saturday that her daughter died by suicide. Citing "differences in her mood" brought about by the death of her grandfather, Sydney's mother noted that she and her husband tried to connect their daughter with a counselor, but "she canceled her appointments."**

The 25-year-old pilot was also mere months away from her wedding, scheduled for April 2026.

Beyoncé at Coachella in 2018.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

* *has reached out to representatives for Beyoncé for comment.

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A friend of Hardeman's named Dakota Jenkins created a GoFundMe page in the wake of her death to "honor her memory." $11,500 has been raised so far. Jenkins explains on the page that all the proceeds "will go towards minority scholarships and for Sydney's salvation foundation that is currently in the works to support mental health initiatives and suicide prevention of people of all ages and walks of life and that her legacy lives on forever."

Hardeman is described as "one of those rare people who brought light and laughter everywhere she went, confident, hilarious, endlessly kind, and full of life" who "was also a devoted fiancée, excited about the beautiful future she was building."

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When she was 19, Hardeman attended Beyoncé's headlining show at the 2018 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival. The two-hour set, which comprised 28 numbers, was performed across a 12-story riser, reunited Destiny's Child, and was watched by millions of virtual viewers. Later dubbed "Beychella," the making and execution of the performance was captured in the following year's documentary *Homecoming*.

That's where Hardeman got her big break. The wide-eyed fan's shocked reaction to Beyoncé's very presence went viral after the film was released. In an interview with BuzzFeed, Hardeman called Beychella "the greatest performance of all time," and enthused that she was merely "happy to be shown because it means Beyoncé knows my face exists."

Beyoncé's mother Tina Knowles honored Hardeman's life by reposting the segment of *Homecoming *that shows her on Instagram on Saturday.

"So sad to hear the news that this angel has gone to be with the lord," she wrote. "I didn't know her personally, but I feel a real sad sadness today at this loss of this young beautiful woman. My prayers up for her family."**

*If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741, or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.*

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Source: “EW Music”