It’s been years since the news popped off on social media. But just as a refresher, here’s Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s affair timeline. The two are arguably one of the greatest power couples in modern time, but their relationship has had the spotlight on some sour moments.
In 2007, Jay-Z told Charlie Rose he met Beyoncé “10 years ago,” or in 1997. Queen B told Seventeen a year later that “I was 18 when we first met, 19 when we first started dating. The relationship culminated years later when Beyoncé made her solo debut in 2003 with her first single “Crazy in Love” featuring her now-husband.
The two secretly tied the knot in 2008. “It was a very emotional wedding—lots of crying—and really very spiritual,” a source told People. It was held at Jay’s 13,5000-square-foot penthouse in New York City; instead of rings, they both tattooed the number 4 in Roman numerals on their ring fingers.
“There was no rush—no one expected me to run off and get married,” Beyoncé told Seventeen. “I really don’t believe that you will love the same thing when you’re 20 as you do at 30. So that was my rule: Before the age of 25, I would never get married. I feel like you have to get to know yourself, know what you want, spend some time by yourself, and be proud of who you are before you can share that with someone else.”
However, their relationship had some road bumps which sparked some of the greatest pop culture moments in history. Here’s a timeline of Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s affair.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s Affair timeline
May 7, 2014: Solange attacks Jay-Z in an elevator
Image Credit: Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images for Balmain Jay-Z’s affair rumors were rampantly spread after the 2014 Met Gala. TMZ released footage of Beyoncé’s sister Solange attacking the “Empire State of Mind” rapper in an elevator. The motive behind the attack was never disclosed, but fans suspected that it had to do with Jay-Z cheating on her sister.
The two later made a statement: “There has been a great deal of speculation about what triggered the unfortunate incident. But the most important thing is that our family has worked through it. Jay and Solange each assume their share of responsibility for what has occurred. They both acknowledge their role in this private matter that has played out in the public. They both have apologized to each other and we have moved forward as a united family. The reports of Solange being intoxicated or displaying erratic behavior throughout that evening are simply false. At the end of the day, families have problems and we’re no different. We love each other and above all we are family. We’ve put this behind us and hope everyone else will do the same.”
Beyoncé referenced the moment in her song “Flawless,” Of course, sometimes shit go down / When it’s a billion dollars on an elevator.”
July 2014: Rumors of Jay-Z and Beyoncé Divorce Plans emerge
Image Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Amid the On The Run tour, rumors emerged of Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s split amid the cheating rumors. “They are trying to figure out a way to split without divorcing. This is a huge concert tour, and they’ve already gotten most of the money from the promoters up front,” a source told Page Six. “Jay was outdoing Jay, and Bey was outdoing Bey. They made the classic mistake of thinking a child would change everything and help to rekindle the initial fire, and it didn’t.”
April 2016: Beyoncé releases Lemonade
Image Credit: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images Beyoncé’s critically acclaimed album Lemonade was released in 2016 and fueled rumors of Jay-Z’s affair. “Death to side chicks,” Beyoncé staunchly says during the music video of “Sorry.” The song also includes the infamous “Becky with the good hair,” which people are still wondering who it is to this day.
The identity of the woman that Jay-Z cheated on Beyoncé with has not been revealed. It was rumored that he had an affair with Rita Ora, who signed to his label Roc Nation in 2008. However, Ora vehemently denied the rumors. Rumors of Jay-Z’s infidelity first emerged when security camera footage caught Beyoncé’s sister Solange attacking the rapper in an elevator.
2016: BeyHive speculates Rachel Roy as “Becky with the good hair”
Image Credit: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for InStyle Many fans speculated that “Becky” was Rachel Roy after her long history with Jay-Z’s business enterprise Roc-A-Wear, where she met her then-husband Damon Dash.
Roy’s posts fueled the rumors after she posted an Instagram post close to the release of Lemonade. “Good hair don’t care, but we will take good lighting, for selfies, or self truths, always. Live in the light #nodramaqueens,” she wrote in a now-deleted post in which BeyHive swarmed the comments.
February 2017: Beyoncé and Jay-Z announce they’re expecting twins
Beyoncé and Jay-Z announce they’re expecting twins in a gorgeous Instagram post. “We would like to share our love and happiness. We have been blessed two times over. We are incredibly grateful that our family will be growing by two, and we thank you for your well wishes. – The Carters.”
June 2017: Jay-Z confirms he cheated on Beyoncé on 4:44
Image Credit: Christopher Polk/Getty Images for NARAS Jay-Z confessed that he cheated on Beyonce in his title track “4:44” off the album of the same name. I apologize to all the women whom I toyed with your emotions / ‘Cause I was emotionless,“ he raps
He continued, “I apologize, our love was one for the ages and I contained us / And if my children knew, I don’t even know what I would do / If they ain’t look at me the same / I would prolly die with all the shame.”
2017: Jay-Z confesses that he cheated on Beyoncé
In an interview with The New York Times Magazine, Jay-Z admitted that he cheated on Beyoncé. “So even with women, you gonna shut down emotionally, so you can’t connect…. In my case, like, it’s deep,” he told the outlet. “And then all the things happen from there: infidelity. We were using our art almost like a therapy session. And we started making music together. And then the music she was making at that time was further along. So her album came out as opposed to the joint album that we were working on. Um, we still have a lot of that music. And this is what it became. There was never a point where it was like, ‘I’m making this album.’ I was right there the entire time.”
June 2018: Beyoncé and Jay-Z announce joint album Everything is Love
Image Credit: Larry Busacca/PW18/Getty Images for Parkwood Entertainment At the end of the On The Run II tour, Beyoncé announced that she and her husband Jay-Z will be releasing Everything Is Love. The album was released on June 16, 2018.
July 29, 2022: Beyoncé releases Renaissance
Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Parkwood In her thank you notes on the album Renaissance, Beyoncé thanks her husband and her family, “I want to give a special thanks to Rumi, Sir, and Blue for allowing me the space, creativity, and inspiration,” she wrote on her website. “And a special thanks to my beautiful husband and muse, who held me down during those late nights in the studio.”
She also directly references the emotions Jay-Z felt during the scandal. “I know nobody’s perfect so I’ll let you be, I’ll let you be. It’s the way that you wear your emotions on both of your sleeves, ’til the face you make when I tell you that I had to leave,” she sings on the track “Plastic on the Sofa.” “We don’t need the world’s acceptance. They’re too hard on me, they’re too hard on you, boy.”
March 29, 2024: Beyoncé releases Cowboy Carter
Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter includes a reimagined cover of “Jolene by Dolly Parton. While the original song pleads for another woman to not steal her man, Beyoncé takes it to another level so that the woman doesn’t even think to go near her man—seemingly referring to the cheating scandal.
“I’m warning you, don’t come for my man,” Queen Bey croons. She turns it up even more with lyrics like, “You don’t want this smoke so shoot your shot with someone else,” “I’m still a Creole banjee bitch from Louisiana’” and “Your peace depends on how you move, Jolene.”
“Hey, Ms. Honey Bee, it’s Dolly P.,” the legendary country singer says in an interlude aptly called “Dolly P.” “You know that hussy with the good hair you sing about? Reminded me of someone I knew back when, except she has flaming locks of auburn hair, bless her heart. Just a hair of a different color, but it hurts just the same.”
