Earlier this week, rumors began swirling that Beyoncé is set to make her screenwriting debut with a film surrounding the life of Saartijie (Sarah) Baartman, a South African woman who rose to fame after being put on display at British freakshows in the 1800s for her large buttocks.
Before long, the backlash had begun, with South Africa's Chief Jean Burgess being the loudest voice opposing Bey playing the iconic figure, saying she's "not worthy" of portraying Baartman. Now, the pop icon is putting the discussion on pause, saying she was never even attached to the proposed biopic. "Beyoncé is in no way tied to this project," her rep told Billboard in a statement. "This is an important story that should be told, however."

Social media seems to agree with Burgess that Bey should not be the one to tell the story. Did the negative press make Bey drop the role like a hot potato or is the project really just a rumor? Guess we'll never know. 

For now, Queen Bey will have to be content with ruling the Beyhive. Take a look at how she paid it forward during the Holidays in the video below:

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(Photos from left: Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images, Apic/Getty Images)