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9 Years, Stop It: The Craziest Rumors About Beyoncé and Jay Z Over the Years

How many did you fall for?

Even before tying the knot with a private wedding in 2008, Beyoncé and Jay Z have long been #RelationshipGoals.

Despite being among music’s most respected and iconic artists, influencers and, ultimately, power couples, one of their most admirable qualities has been keeping their personal business in the background while still standing at the forefront of elite stardom. The rightfully glorified relationship between the Houston starlet and New York rap heavyweight, blooming from over a decade ago, has since gracefully passed the test of time and birthed a beautiful baby girl, Blue Ivy Carter, and soon-to-be twins of the Carter family.

But even the most idolized of relationships trail obstacle-ridden roads. And though the Carters have obviously withstood them, it never stopped the rumor mills from spinning with attempts to creep into their private life. Namely, cheating scandals, pregnancy hoaxes and whispers of divorce have been abundant among the public, of which Bey and Jay may thinly address via lyricism — if the chatterboxes are lucky enough.

On their anniversary day of April 4, the day that the couple marks another successful year as Mr. and Mrs. Carter, we celebrate the unbreakable, unshakable, undeniable forces of Black love the Carter way.

See our fool-proof list of nine most-foolish rumors making their way through grapevines over the years but, fortunately, never between the Carters.

  1. Jay Z's side fling with Rihanna

    (Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Roc Nation)

    Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Roc Nation

    (Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Roc Nation)

    The 2005 rumor of a cheating scandal between Jay Z and the then-17-year-old Bajan bad gal songstress, Rihanna, sprung just as her career took off with her debut single, “Pon De Replay.” And with RiRi’s signage to his Roc Nation empire only boosting the hearsay, it’s no wonder that the rumor’s lifespan lasted as long as it did. However, the confession of Jonathan Hay, Rihanna’s former publicist, revealing that he started the faux rumor all to boost Rih’s early career takeoff, it’s safe to say it’s as good as dead now as it was from the very beginning. He has since apologized to the couple.

    Shame on you, Jonathan.

  2. Beyonce's side fling with her bodyguard, Julius De Boer

    (Photo: 247PAPS.TV / Splash News)

    Photo: 247PAPS.TV / Splash News

    (Photo: 247PAPS.TV / Splash News)

    Driver roll up the partition, please! That should keep the nasty buzz of an even nastier infidelity rumor between Bey and Julius De Boer, Beyoncé’s longtime bodyguard, from seeping in. This 2014 gossip came swiftly after Solange, Bey and Jay Z’s infamous elevator incident. Not to mention, a photo of a Beyoncé covering her mouth while walking in front of Julius — who appeared to have light traces of red lipstick smeared on his mouth. Let’s just leave the mascara running and red lipstick smudges to the actual song, not a poor sense of circumstantial evidence.

  3. Jay Z's mystery son

     (Photo: Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Spike)

    Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Spike

    (Photo: Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Spike)

    With a 12-year gap between Jay and Bey, why wouldn’t news of a secret baby from the 47-year-old Brooklyn mogul stick, right? Not quite. Regardless of Wanda Sattherthwaite, mother of 22-year-old Rymir, alleging that Jay fathered her son and thwarted all possibilities of undergoing a paternity test, her attempts at any real confirmation behind her claims have been futile. Sattherthwaite has even sat down in full interviews and involved the court in justifying the accusations against Jay. Maury as a last resort, perhaps? Nice try.

  4. Beyoncé was never really pregnant

    Whoever was behind this one must have had lots of time on their hands. Especially since a video of her belly appearing to fold when she took a seat during an interview made its internet rounds, with many accusing her of faking her pregnancy with Blue Ivy. Some called it surrogacy, some called it a fake device intended to mimic a pregnant tummy. But the fact still stands, thanks to Bey’s bare-bellied photos, along with her personal testimony against surrogacy rumors, that she indeed carried Blue herself.

  5. Jay Z's (other) side fling with Rita Ora

    (Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)

    Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

    (Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)

    Another lady entering the scene by way of Roc Nation, now-former signee Rita Ora was romantically linked to Jay following Beyoncé’s infidelity-driven Lemonade album. The premise beneath the rumor? A bra with two lemons that Rita wore on Snapchat. While stating that it was a means to stir up some hilarious gossip might not have been that far of a reach, labeling her Jay’s mistress, also known as “Becky with the good hair,” definitely is.

  6. Jay and Beyoncé are the Illuminati's power couple

     (Photo: Myrna Suarez/WireImage for Parkwood Entertainment)

    Photo: Myrna Suarez/WireImage for Parkwood Entertainment

    (Photo: Myrna Suarez/WireImage for Parkwood Entertainment)

    The upside to this one is that Jay and Bey aren’t the only couple, let alone celebrities, in the Hollywood circle accused of Illuminati affiliations. From coining the name of young Blue as an acronym for “Born Living Under Evil” to her 2013 Super Bowl performance doubling as Illuminati propaganda, the attempts to establish grounds of Bey and Jay secretly worshipping Satan have been plenty. The only thing such speculations proved to be true is the first line of Bey’s “Formation”: "Y’all haters corny with that Illuminati mess."

  7. Solange's elevator attack on Jay Z was a direct result of his flirting with Rachel Roy

     (Photo: Ari Perilstein/Getty Images for Roc Nation)

    Photo: Ari Perilstein/Getty Images for Roc Nation

    (Photo: Ari Perilstein/Getty Images for Roc Nation)

    Another development in the Beyhive’s search for “Becky with the good hair” was that Rachel Roy’s name popped up as a prime suspect. This was, in major part, due to footage of Solange’s shocking 2014 elevator attack on Jay, where rumors surfaced that she was livid with him for flirting with Roy and disrespecting her big sis at the Met Gala. Thankfully, Solange, Jay, Bey and the family have put it all behind them and, hopefully, everyone else has followed suit with the hearsay.

     

  8. The Carter divorce has already been meticulously planned

    (Photo: James Devaney/FilmMagic)

    Photo: James Devaney/FilmMagic

    (Photo: James Devaney/FilmMagic)

    After periodical divorce gossip concerning the two has arrived every few years or so, one of the most creative rumors of the Carter matrimony is that a post-nuptial agreement has already been detailed down to a T. Agreements on how they will divvy up their riches, reportedly worth a combined net worth of $1 billion, “sources” claimed that they signed off on the financial arrangement in 2015 after hitting a rough patch in the marriage. Until an actual document surfaces, or at least an official statement from the Carters on the existence of it (we wouldn’t advise you hold your breath on that one), you can file this chitchat under null and void.

  9. Simply put, 'Lemonade' was a publicity stunt

    With Beyoncé sneezing during a concert making headlines (literally), there’s a slim to none chance that she’d need any publicity stunts to sell her tunes. Rumors of Bey and Jay contriving the infidelity narrative backing her critically-acclaimed Lemonade undertaking still made their way into some folks’ beliefs. Although the pair has been designated as “marketing masters” on the industry scene, the claims just don’t have quite enough weight to hold up as anything more than a mere theory.

     

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