Quick Links
Beyonce is a singer and one of the most iconic entertainer of this generation. She had arguably the greatest Super Bowl performance of all time, her MTV performances are near perfection and her music is infectious. Her husband and hip-hop mogul Jay-Z, has often quoted her as “the greatest living entertainer,” and rightfully so.
This R&B, pop phenomenon was born Beyonce Giselle Knowles. She started entering talent competitions at the early age of eight. Hailing from Houston, Texas Beyonce first rose to fame as the lead singer of Destiny’s Child. Destiny’s Child went on to become one of the highest selling female musical groups of all time. Together, Beyonce, Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams and former Destiny Child members have sold over 60 million records worldwide. When Beyonce decided to pursue a solo career, she catapulted to super-stardom. Beyonce's first solo album Dangerously in Love sold 11 million copies worldwide. Four albums later, Beyonce has become an international sensation.
However, Beyonce’s public image is obscure. She has kept her personal life private to say the least. Her photo-shopped pictures on Instagram, celebrity friendships and exclusive interviews often seem staged. Even Beyonce’s pregnancy was speculated to be a sham due to her illusive ways. Her flawless persona leaves fans and critics wanting more of a story to tell about her famed career. Into her third decade of musical excellence, this bad chick remains a mystery.
Here are 15 shocking facts you didn't know about Beyonce.
15. Beyonce Has A Secret 5-Year-Old Sister
Beyonce made headlines in 2011 when she abruptly fired her father, Matthew Knowles, who acted as her manager for over two decades. This was because in 2010 Matthew Knowles, while married to Beyonce’s mother Tina Knowles, fathered a secret love child with Alexandra Wright, a woman 20 years his junior. The love child’s name is Koi Knowles and she is now 5 years old. "Subsequently, Beyonce ended her relationship with him on a business level, although she eventually stopped speaking to him altogether," according to The New York Post. "My soul has been tarnished," she confessed in her Life Is But A Dream documentary.
“Beyonce was horrified to find out her dad cheated on her mom. She always looked up to him, and she is very close to her mom, so this has hit her really hard," a source had told the New York Post ahead of Matthew's termination. According to numerous reports, Beyonce may have even more siblings due to her father’s infidelities.
14. Hates Jay-Z And Rihanna's Close Relationship
When you’re a superstar like Beyonce, you’re options for a companion are limited. So, like any pop star Beyonce aimed for the very best — rap legend Jay-Z. The only problem —groupies and successful women are attracted to wealthy men. Jay-Z, who at one time was appointed president and CEO of Def Jam Records, discovered pop sensation Rihanna when she was only 16. Since then, Rihanna has gone on to receive eight Grammys. So, why would a beauty like Beyoncé ever be jealous? Well Gawker.com reported: “Jay Z reportedly has a separate phone which only Rihanna has the number for, much to his wife Beyonce’s fury."
13. Jay-Z and Beyonce Reportedly Split For A Year
This October, a high-profile book was published by J.Randy Taraborrelli titled Becoming Beyoncé: The Untold Story. In the explosive, tell-all book, the author claims that Beyonce and Jay-Z split for a year due to his and Rihanna's cozy relationship. It also exposes secrets such as "The Blue Ivy Contract." The contract forces nannies to sign documentation about the do's and do not's.
According to Eonline the book stated that the contract is titled the "Daily Program for Blue Ivy as Per Mrs. Carter." The contract goes on to read "If you are a nanny coming into her household, and you think you are going to just raise Blue Ivy the way you want to, that's not gonna happen," Taraborrelli wrote. "Beyonce has sort of an agreement, a structure of how she wants her child to be raised and you have to adhere to this." The book also explains the infamous elevator dispute between Beyonce's younger sister and Jay-Z.
12. Jay-Z Has More Money
Beyonce is undoubtedly a boss named Queen Bey. However, contrary to what her fans, the infamous Beyhive, may think, the queen doesn’t have more money than her husband Jay-Z. Beyonce has an impressive net worth of $450 million. While hip-hop entrepreneur Jay-Z is worth a staggering $650 million. That means together the Carters have a net worth of an astonishing 1.1 billion. Beyonce has accumulated her wealth from albums, touring, acting, fashion and luxurious endorsement deals, whereas Jay-Z has accumulated his wealth through, albums, touring, business, sports, clothing line and movie producing.
11. Beyonce Only Had One Boyfriend Before Jay-Z
Before marring Jay-Z, Beyonce dated a man named Lyndall Locke. Locke revealed the details about his relationship with Beyonce to a British news outlet. Beyonce and Lyndall were allegedly childhood darlings who first met at a youth church in 1993. Lyndall says that he was Beyonce’s first kiss and that they also went to prom together in 1993.
However, Beyonce’s growing stardom began to cause a rift between the two. "The bigger star she became, the more I didn’t think I was good enough," Lyndall confessed in the sit-down, published in the British tabloid called The Sun. "One night, when she was out of town, I went to a bar with friends and ended up sleeping with another woman. Over the course of a few years I cheated on her about five times, but I never told her until after we broke up."
Lyndall continued: “Who cheats on a woman as beautiful as Beyonce? Well, I am that man and it’s something that’ll always haunt me. Once she began dating Jay Z, I knew we were doomed and I could never win her back. But I know that no matter what, she will always love me.”
10. Beyonce Is A Total “Slob”
Beyonce may have won 17 Grammys, but according to childhood friend Kelly Rowland, that doesn’t me she isn’t a total slob. During a segment of "Plead the Fifth" on Andy Cohen's Bravo show Watch What Happens Live, the host probed Kelly to share secrets about her seemingly perfect friend, according to usatoday.com. Cohen specifically asked what Beyonce’s most annoying trait was. In her very next breath, Rowland replied with a laugh, “she would tell you this. She's a slob."
Rowland added that, “If you walk in (there's a mess) - maybe she's gotten better since becoming a mother - but she's got a lot on her brain. You can tell she's got a lot going on." The 34-year-old Grammy award winner later confessed to these claims in an issue of Ebony saying, "I'm a little messy." She went on to say, "I don't have any shoes on. No makeup. My shoes are left at the door. My purse is in the kitchen. I'm relaxed!"
9. Beyonce Suffered From Depression
Depression is a mental disorder which causes people to experience moods of dejection, low energy and self-esteem. When the wildly successful musical group Destiny’s Child lost two of its members to financial and personal disputes, Beyonce fell into a deep depression. Years ago, in a rare moment of confession, Beyonce told Parade magazine that when LaTivia Roberson and LeToya Luckett quit the group and sued her father for mismanagement that she’d gotten hopeless.
Knowles says she refused to eat and stayed locked away inside of her room. Beyonce called this “the lonely period” in her life. She says she had to reflect on who she was and who her friends were. She also added that this was the stage in her life when her privacy was over. She says before that the media didn’t care about her personally, but felt “attacked once her life fell apart."
8. PETA Despises Beyonce
PETA stands for: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Their website states that, “PETA focuses its attention on the four areas in which the largest numbers of animals suffer the most intensely for the longest periods of time.” One of these four areas is none other than the entertainment industry. So why would PETA hate a pop icon who seemingly has no connection with animals? Well, Mrs. Carter is notorious for wearing furs and using furs in her failed clothing line, House of Deréon. PETA wrote an open letter to Beyonce stating, “Dear Beyonce: “Your many fans at PETA are saddened that you’ve ignored repeated appeals calling your attention to the way minks, foxes and chinchillas are gassed, strangled and electrocuted on fur farms for your wardrobe..."
7. Beyonce Had A Miscarriage
Many of us know what a miscarriage is, but for those of us who don’t, a miscarriage is the loss of a baby before the 20th week of pregnancy. While doing an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Beyonce called it one of the “saddest things she’s been through.” When Beyonce first conceived, she and Jay-Z were overjoyed when they found out Queen Bey was pregnant, however something went wrong in the early stages, the "Flawless" singer revealed.
"I flew back to New York to get my check up - and no heartbeat," she said. "Literally the week before I went to the doctor, everything was fine, but there was no heartbeat…I went into the studio and wrote the saddest song I've ever written in my life," she said. Fortunately, Beyonce and Jay-Z conceived a child months later, the adorable 3-year-old named Blue Ivy Carter.
6. Beyonce Cursed Out 50 Cent
You may think Beyonce is a calm person when she's off stage, but it has been well documented that Mrs. Carter is very protective, especially in regards to her family. When talking about her younger sister, Solange Knowles, Beyonce said, “I don’t even know what happens to me. I completely turn into a lunatic… I was taught the importance of being a sister and my sister looking up to me.”
Case in point, when Beyonce thought rapper 50 Cent and Jay-Z were in the middle of a dispute, Beyonce decided to confront 50 Cent. "One time (Beyonce) jumped off of a ledge and came running over ‘cause she thought me and Jay had issues," the Queens rapper said in a recent interview with Power 105.1, according to Us Weekly. "I'm like, 'What the f--k?' Did she really just jump and run up to me like that?'"
5. Beyonce Didn’t Want To Attend Kimye’s Wedding
Beyonce, Jay-Z, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian (in this exact order) were seated front row at the 2012 BET Awards. Kanye West and Kim Kardashian were married on May 24, 2014. Two of Kanye’s reported closest friends, Beyonce and Jay-Z, were not in attendance. Many rumors swirled around the media news cycle on why this might be. One rumor was that Beyonce didn’t want to give Kim Kardashian credibility and launch her already A-list status into super-stardom. Beyonce and Jay-Z are music icons so it is quite possible that they were busy, though neither were rumored to be touring.
Page Six reported, “They are guarding like hell their status,” a source told Page Six. “Beyonce wasn’t going to allow a Kardashian to socially climb her.” Jay apparently agreed with Beyonce on this decision! “And Jay didn’t want Kanye with Kim — he thinks it’s bad for business.
4. Michelle Obama Is Obsessed With Beyonce
The First Lady of the United States of America (often posted as LOTUS) is fixated with Beyonce. From her Let’s Move initiative to her most recent #62milliongirls: Let Girls Learn project, Michelle Obama has found a way to include Beyonce in her First Lady plans. Making an appearance at New York’s Global Citizen Festival, Beyonce introduced the First Lady before running into her arms for a hug. “I am honored to follow a woman whom I admire and adore. Someone who believes as passionately as I do in the boundless promise of girls worldwide,” said Mrs. Obama about her girl crush.
In past years, Michelle has been recorded dancing to Knowles “Move Your Body.” Beyonce joined forces with Michelle Obama and the National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation to promote the national Let's Move! campaign, which aims to combat child obesity by prompting youngsters to become more active.
3. Beyonce Reportedly Crushes On Guys And Girls?
As mentioned previously in this list, Beyoncé was involved in just one relationship before marrying Jay-Z. It’s not surprising that she has a few crushes. In 2012, she was rumored to have a crush on President Barack Obama. After a fundraising event, The National Enquirer revealed, “even when the president was socializing with other guests, Beyonce always seemed to have her eye on him, watching his every move from afar,” revealed a close source.
Moreover, many folks know that Beyonce has a girl crush on rapper Nicki Minaj (watch their "Feeling Myself" video), but did you know that it has been reported that Beyonce has a “school-girl crush” on NBA superstar LeBron James. Gossip about Beyonce’s crush started when social media began making fun of the way she stares at King James while he plays basketball. Complex Magazine and Yahoo! Sports contacted a body relationship expert, Lillian Glass, to analyze some Vines and photos of Beyonce while sitting courtside. Glass confirms Beyonce’s flirtatious manner and lustful body language.
2. Beyonce Wants An Oscar Really Bad
Millions of everyday people dream and crave about winning Emmys, Golden Globes, Grammys, Oscars and countless of other prominent awards. Beyonce Knowles is no different. In 2006, Beyonce was nominated for a Golden Globe after giving an above average performance in the musical drama Dreamgirls. However, actress/singer and former American Idol contestant Jennifer Hudson outshined Beyonce and lived Beyonce’s dream of winning an Oscar.
Beyonce has admitted to her strong desires of wanting to win an Academy Award to Oprah Winfrey during an exclusive interview. She admitted her dream of winning an Oscar to a few others as well. Queen Bey also told the Independent that she wanted to be the first black woman to win three major awards: an Oscar, a Tony, and a Grammy. However Whoopi Goldberg has since won that feat.
1. Beyonce Dominates The Bedroom
Beyonce is a fierce competitor on the stage, so it may come as no surprise that she dominates in the bedroom. Her seemingly shy and poised demeanor off the stage may question this fact, however the reigning queen of r&b/pop wrote some pretty provocative lyrics on her latest album.
On her hit-record "Partition" she sings, "Driver, roll up the partition, please/ I don't need you seeing 'Yonce on her knees/ Took 45 minutes to get all dressed up/ We ain't even gonna make it to this club/ Now my mascara running, red lipstick smudged/ Oh he so horny, yeah he want to …/ He popped all my buttons, and he ripped my blouse/ He Monica Lewinsky-ed all on my gown…"
Just like several other songs, Beyonce's record was inspired by personal experiences. She has said that she likes to throw on high heels and dominate in the bedroom.
Sources: www.usatoday.com; www.people.com; madamenoire.com