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Jay-Z and Beyoncé have been married for over a decade, have three children together, and are considered some of the greatest recording artists in the business.

There’s no denying that the “99 Problems” rapper and “Drunk in Love” singer are a power couple not just in music but in the entertainment industry as a whole. And now, a body language expert is pointing out what they’re seen doing from time to time to show just how powerful they are, which is the same thing Prince Harry and Meghan Markle do often.

Putting hands on their partner’s back to show they are ‘connected’

Beyoncé and Jay-Z pose for a photo together at the 65th GRAMMY Awards
Beyoncé and Jay-Z pose for a photo together at the 65th GRAMMY Awards | Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Darren Stanton is a body language and behavioral expert with a degree in psychology. He previously worked as a police officer and used his expertise to uncover the truth when interviewing hundreds of suspects. He later moved into media and TV as a consultant and has been dubbed the “Human Lie Detector.”

According to Stanton, “Jay-Z tends to walk behind Beyoncé and also puts his hand on her back. This is a gesture we often see with Meghan and Harry. It’s not about ownership but it’s saying that ‘we’re a strong couple. We are connected.'”

The other thing, again like Harry and Meghan, Jay and Bey do is they’re not afraid to show PDA.

Stanton noted: “You often see them holding hands, being very close to each other, and sometimes they kiss.”

Beyoncé asserts her power when she puts her hands on her hips

Beyoncé performs onstage during her “RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR”
Beyoncé performs onstage during her “RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR” | Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Parkwood

The body language guru revealed that Queen Bey puts her hands on her hips when she wants to assert her individual power.

He said: “You’ll notice the more space somebody occupies by putting their hands on their hips which is something Beyoncé tends to do a lot at red carpet and music events, [or] when she’s having a photoshoot, she’ll put her hand on her hips. And that’s saying, not in an arrogant way but saying, ‘I’m the most powerful person here.'”

What Jay-Z did that ‘mortified’ Beyoncé

Stanton also discussed something Jay-Z did at an award ceremony and how Beyoncé displayed through her body language that she was “mortified” by it.

He explained that the “Single Ladies” hitmaker wasn’t thrilled with her husband’s acceptance speech for the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award he received at the Grammys on Feb. 4, 2024.

Beyoncé looks on Jay-Z as accepts the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award during the 66th GRAMMY Awards
Beyoncé looks on Jay-Z as accepts the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award during the 66th GRAMMY Awards | Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

During his speech, the hip-hop artist brought up his wife while taking a dig at the Recording Academy, saying “I don’t want to embarrass this young lady, but she has more Grammys than anyone and never won album of the year. So even by your own metrics, that doesn’t work.” 

Stanton said he noticed a number of key things and emotions when the cameras cut to Beyoncé.

“The first thing she did was she bowed her head and looked to the left,” the expert observed. “Now this denotes shame … she was mortified and wished the ground would swallow her up … He’d never made this arrangement and she didn’t agree for him to do this. This was something he did off his own back … She [in turn] pulled on her anger, what we call a micro-expression, which gives us a clear indication of what emotions she was experiencing. So I can imagine when those two got home that night you can bet they had words with each other.”

Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds.