11 Scandals & Secrets Involving Jay Z & Beyonce!
Published on May 21, 2014. Updated April 4, 2017Jay Z and Beyonce are two of the most powerful individuals in the music business. They have been together for over a decade and have weathered a number of different storms. Since these two are notoriously private, it’s rare for them to comment on rumors, which just fuels speculation even more. Since these two have been back in the news since the Met Gala, here are 11 secrets and scandals involving Jay Z and Beyonce!
11. Jay Z Shoots His Brother
When he was only 12-years-old, Jay Z shot his older brother. According to the rap mogul, his brother – who was addicted to crack at the time of the shooting – had stolen a ring from Jay Z. His older brother didn’t end up pressing charges and ended up apologizing to Jay Z for his addiction when he was in the hospital. The rapper grew up in a housing project in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn where guns where everywhere.
Featureflash / Shutterstock.com10. Jay Z – The Drug Dealer
Jay Z – who is now one of the richest men in the music industry – has said that he acquired his business skills from his time as a drug dealer on the streets of New York City. According to the hip hop mogul, he sold crack cocaine back in the ‘80s, which equipped him with the necessary skills to succeed in life. “I know about budgets. I was a drug dealer. To be in a drug deal, you need to know what you can spend, what you need to re-up,” the rapper said.
Joe Seer / Shutterstock.com9. Stabbing
In 2001, Jay Z pled guilty to stabbing rival record producer, Lance “Un” Rivera, during a listening party for Q-Tip’s Amplified album at New York City’s Kit Kat Club back in 1999. According to the rapper, he was angry because someone had leaked a copy of his album Vol. 3…Life and Times of S. Carter and everyone he asked about it pointed the finger at Rivera. At the album release party, things came to a head when Jay confronted him about it. After an argument, he ended up stabbing Rivera in the stomach.
Everett Collection / Shutterstock.com8. Love Triangle
When she was getting her first taste of fame back in 2006, up and coming singer Rihanna was rumored to be in a love triangle with her mentor Jay Z and his girlfriend Beyonce. According to media speculation, Rihanna had convinced Jay Z to have a romantic relationship with her and Beyonce at the same time. Beyonce’s song “Ring the Alarm” is allegedly about Rihanna’s relationship with Jay Z; however, she and her father vehemently denied this is true.
Everett Collection / Shutterstock.com7. Fake Pregnancy
When Beyonce was pregnant with Blue Ivy, people believed that the pregnancy was a hoax. It was speculated that Beyonce’s baby bump was fake and that she and Jay Z had hired a surrogate to carry their child instead. This all came to a head when Bey was on the Australian TV show “Sunday Night.” In the video, it looks like she is wearing a prosthetic belly because it looked like it is moving and being squashed when she sat down. Both Jay Z and Beyonce denied that this was the case.
Joe Seer / Shutterstock.com6. Miscarriage
In 2013, Beyonce opened up to Oprah about the miscarriage she suffered before she had her daughter, Blue Ivy. “There are so many couples that go through that and it was a big part of my story. It’s one of the reasons I did not share I was pregnant the second time, because you don’t know what’s going to happen. And that was hard, because all of my family and my friends knew and we celebrated. It was hard,” Beyonce said. Jay Z reportedly references the miscarriage in his song, “Glory.”
Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com5. Lip Syncing
Beyonce was accused of lip-syncing when she performed the national anthem on Inauguration Day 2013, which she didn’t entirely deny. “I practice until my feet bleed and I did not have time to rehearse with the orchestra,” she said. “Due to no proper sound check, I did not feel comfortable taking a risk. It was about the president and the inauguration, and I wanted to make him and my country proud, so I decided to sing along with my pre-recorded track, which is very common in the music industry. And I’m very proud of my performance.”
JStone / Shutterstock.com4. Beyonce Fired Her Dad As Her Manager
In 2011, Beyonce fired her father as her manager. According to legal documents, he allegedly stole money from her; however, Beyonce kept her statements about the issue professional. “I’ve only parted ways with my father on a business level. He is my father for life, and I love my dad dearly. I am grateful for everything he has taught me. I grew up watching both he and my mother [Tina Knowles] manage and own their own businesses. They were hard-working entrepreneurs and I will continue to follow in their footsteps.”
Derrick Salters / Shutterstock.com3. Matthew Knowles’ Secret Love Child
Beyonce’s father Matthew Knowles cheated on her mother with a woman 20 years his junior, Alexsandra Wright, and fathered a child with her. According to the Canadian actress, Knowles has not even met his son who was born in 2009 and he has skipped child support payments. Knowles – who is no longer Beyonce’s manager – convinced a judge this year to decrease his child support payments because his income dropped after his daughter fired him as her manager.
s_bukley / Shutterstock.com2. Lying About Her Age
Beyonce has been accused of lying about her age. MediaTakeOut.com reportedly received a tip from someone who claimed to work for the Texas Department of Health. This individual faxed over what appears to Beyonce’s official birth records, which show that a Beyonce Giselle Knowles was born to Matthew Knowles and Celestine Ann Beyonce on September 4, 1974. The singer’s official biography claims that she was born on September 4, 1981.
DFree / Shutterstock.com1. Solange Attacks Jay Z
At the 2014 Met Gala, Beyonce’s sister Solange was captured on video attacking Jay Z in an elevator. She can be seen hitting him while he tries to block her and, as Jay Z’s bodyguard pulls her out of the way, she starts kicking him. Beyonce can be seen watching the fight, but she does get between them at one point. No explanation has been offered for the assault and Bey has been posting family photos that include her, Solange on Jay Z all over Tumblr since the incident occurred.
Featureflash / Shutterstock.com