Kelly Rowland: 'There's no rivalry between Beyonce and Rihanna'

Singer Kelly Rowland has denied there is any rivalry between her former Destiny's Child bandmate Beyonce and fellow pop star Rihanna.

Rumours have circulated for years suggesting the two ladies do not get on, amid claims Beyonce is jealous over her husband Jay Z's relationship with his protegee Rihanna, who he began working with more than a decade ago.

More recently it was speculated the 28-year-old was upset with Beyonce after she released her new single, Formation, hot on the heels of Rihanna's latest album, Anti, but Kelly insists all the reports are nonsense.

"They are two women who support each other," she told the New York Daily News. "The rest of the world starts the rivalry. They are very secure women."

Her comments echo those of Rihanna, who addressed the rivalry rumours herself in a recent interview with Vogue.

"Here's the deal," she said. "They just get so excited to feast on something that's negative. Something that's competitive. Something that's, you know, a rivalry. And that's just not what I wake up to. Because I can only do me. And nobody else is going to be able to do that."

Meanwhile, Kelly remains extremely close to Beyonce, 34, with the pair growing up together before forming Destiny's Child in the mid-90s.

The group also featured Michelle Williams and despite disbanding in 2006, their friendship has stood the test of time, and both women recently helped Kelly celebrate her 35th birthday.

"I always see the ladies," she added. "We always hang out. Michelle was just at my house last week. Myself and B were hanging out - even though it is not in front of everyone at the Super Bowl. We were at her house."