FROM ‘Becky with the good hair’ rumours to Diddy controversies, Beyoncé and Jay-Z have faced plenty of challenges throughout their 25-year relationship.
Despite the ups and downs, the power couple has appeared to remain strong, focusing on creating a positive impact for their three children – Blue Ivy Carter, 13, and twins Rumi and Sir Carter, seven.
This weekend, Beyoncé’s highly anticipated Cowboy Carter tour kicks off in London, promising a stunning showcase of western-inspired fashion and an unforgettable rodeo of sights and sounds.
The global icon is set to perform a two-hour, 45-minute spectacular in support of her Grammy-winning album, bringing her two daughters along for the journey.
Beyoncé’s music has always been at the heart of her success.
However, her journey hasn’t been without its share of public storms.
From dodging the Diddy controversy to her sister Solange’s infamous elevator incident, and those ever-persistent ‘Becky’ cheating rumours, their relationship has been anything but smooth sailing.
Here, we delve into the drama and resilience that has defined their extraordinary 25 years together.
2000 – 2004: Dating
The pair first met in 2000 at the MTV Spring Break Festival in Cancun, Mexico, when Beyoncé was 18 and Jay-Z was 30.
Jay-Z later rapped about their meeting and sitting together on a flight back to New York in his 2018 track 713.
Beyoncé confirmed this during an interview with Oprah, explaining that they were friends for a year and a half before dating.
She said: “We were on the phone for a year and a half, and that foundation is so important for a relationship.
“Just to have someone who you just like is so important, and someone [who] is honest.”
Although Beyoncé has clarified she was not underage when they met, rumours about their age gap have persisted.
Ignoring the speculation, the couple released Crazy in Love in 2003.
While Beyoncé had already featured on Jay-Z’s 03 Bonnie & Clyde, it was Crazy in Love that solidified their status as a power duo, even though they still kept their relationship under wraps at the time.
It was then in 2004, the couple made their red carpet debut at the VMAs.
2008 – 2012: Marriage & child
This was the year Beyoncé and Jay-Z finally tied the knot.
At 26 and 38, the couple exchanged vows in an “intimate” ceremony that remains shrouded in secrecy.
It is believed the wedding took place in a Manhattan penthouse.
“There was no rush – no one expected me to run off and get married,” Beyoncé later shared with Seventeen about her wedding day.
“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.”
The Carters then went on to welcome their first child, Blue Ivy Carter, 7 January 2012.
2014: “Billion dollars on an elevator” fight
At this point, Beyoncé found herself embroiled in one of the most dramatic public controversies of her life.
Her sister, Solange Knowles, was caught on video attacking Jay-Z in an elevator at the 2014 Met Gala afterparty. The altercation occurred while Beyoncé was also present in the elevator.
Security footage obtained by TMZ showed Solange wildly hitting and kicking Jay-Z before a security guard intervened to restrain her.
At one point, Beyoncé was seen standing between the two. The video quickly went viral, sparking widespread speculation.
At the end of the day, families have problems, and we’re no different. We love each other, and above all, we are family
Joint statement
Though never confirmed, many believed the fight stemmed from cheating rumours surrounding the couple at the time.
On May 15, 2014, the trio issued a joint statement addressing the incident.
“As a result of the public release of the elevator security footage from Monday, May 5th, 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,” they said in a statement to the Associated Press.
“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 apologised to each other, and we have moved forward as a united family.”
The statement continued: “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.”
2016: Beyonce releases Lemonade, confirming a ‘Becky’
In April 2016, Beyoncé released her groundbreaking album Lemonade, which many fans believe essentially confirms that Jay-Z cheated on her.
She opens with the lyric: “You can taste the dishonesty, it’s all over your breath.” At another point, she pointedly asks: “Are you cheating on me?”
The album appeared to finally settle the speculation surrounding the infamous Met Gala elevator incident.
I think that everybody at one time or another has been betrayed and lied to
Tina Knowles
Fans were further intrigued when Beyoncé mentioned “Becky with the good hair,” a phrase that quickly became a cultural talking point.
Speaking about the album, Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles Lawson, said: “It could be about anyone’s marriage.
“I think that everybody at one time or another has been betrayed and lied to and it’s about the pain and it’s about the healing process and it’s about, ‘How do you get past that and move on.’”
2017: The twins are born & Jay Z talks marriage
On February 1, 2017, Beyoncé and Jay-Z announced they were expecting twins with a heartfelt post alongside Beyoncé’s iconic pregnancy reveal, and they were later born in mid-June that same year.
But it was later that year that got people talking as Jay-Z openly admitted to his infidelity during an interview with The New York Times’ T Magazine.
Reflecting on the challenges they faced, he said: “You know, most people walk away, and like divorce rate is like 50 percent or something ’cause most people can’t see themselves.
“The hardest thing is seeing pain on someone’s face that you caused, and then have to deal with yourself.
“So, you know, most people don’t want to do that. You don’t want to look inside yourself.”
2024-2025: Embroiled in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs drama
In Decemeber 2024 Jay Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs were accused of raping a 13-year-old girl in 2000 at the VMAs afterparty, to which the rapper denied all allegations.
The unnamed woman, claimed that she had been handed a glass of something that made her feel “woozy” and recall lying down in a bedroom, in which she got raped.
However, in February this year, the case was dismissed, according to a legal filing submitted in New York.
At the time Jay Z denied the accusations via a post on social media, in which he wrote: “My lawyer received a blackmail attempt, called a demand letter, from a ‘lawyer’ named Tony Buzbee.
My wife and I will have to sit our children down, one of whom is at the age where her friends will surely see the press and ask questions about the nature of these claims
Jay Z statement
What he had calculated was the nature of these allegations and the public scrutiny would make me want to settle.
“No sir, it had the opposite effect! It made me want to expose you for the fraud you are in a VERY public fashion. So no, I will not give you ONE RED PENNY!!”
He continued: “My only heartbreak is for my family.
“My wife and I will have to sit our children down, one of whom is at the age where her friends will surely see the press and ask questions about the nature of these claims, and explain the cruelty and greed of people.”
A man accused Sean “Diddy” Combs of sexual assault and humiliated him at a 2015 party while Beyonce and Jay Z were present.
However, in April 2025 the accuser, Joseph Manzaro, filed an amendment to his lawsuit in Florida and removed the couple’s name from his lawsuit.
