Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s Different Stories About When They Met Raises Questions After Rape Allegations
Many predicted that it was only a matter of time before another super famous star connected to Sean “Diddy” Combs would be accused of illegal activity along with the disgraced music mogul, and that person is Jay-Z.
The “99 Problems” rapper, whose real name is Shawn Carter, was added to a lawsuit that was originally filed in October 2024 in which the plaintiff claims she was raped by Combs and Jay-Z when she was 13 years old. The alleged assault was said to have happened at an MTV VMAs afterparty on Sept. 7, 2000, and now people have questions about when Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s relationship began as there’s been mystery around that timeline for years.
Here are the differing accounts of when the “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” singer and “Holy Grail” artist claim they met each other.
Jay-Z and Beyoncé don’t have the same story about when they met
Jay-Z and Beyoncé have been music’s biggest power couple for decades, but there’s confusion about exactly when they got together.
According to interviews Bey has done, they met when she was 18 (sometime in 1999 or 2000) but didn’t start dating until she was 19. However, when Jay was asked about his first meeting with his future wife in 2007 he said they met “10 years ago.” Ten years prior to that would have been 1997 when Beyoncé was just 16 years old and recording with the group Destiny’s Child. At that time, Jay was 28.
The Daily Mail reports that the hip-hop artist repeated his statement about when they met in a 2013 Instagram post, writing: “First time I laid eyes on her she was 16. I had thought in my head ‘She will be mine.'”
Moreover, the outlet published photos of Jay posing with Destiny’s Child on the set of the video for “No, No, No” in 1998. This now has some convinced that the pair were together when the alleged rape of a child occurred and that Bey was a minor herself when they met.
Other celebrities named in lawsuits against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
Jay-Z is not the first celebrity whose name appeared in a suit with Diddy.
The Bad Boy Record founder’s ex-girlfriend Yung Miami has been named in a few as well including the one filed in February by producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones. Prince Harry was also named in that $30 million lawsuit against Diddy. The documents claimed that Combs’ affiliation with royal family members like Prince Harry gave him more “legitimacy.” However, the documents do not accuse the Duke of Sussex of criminal behavior or any wrongdoing.
Jay-Z has vehemently denied the allegations against him through a statement posted on social media via Roc Nation’s X account saying in part: “My lawyer received a blackmail attempt, called a demand letter, from a ‘lawyer’ named Tony Buzbee. 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! … So no, I will not give you ONE RED PENNY!!
“These allegations are so heinous in nature that I implore you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil one. Whomever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked away, would you not agree? These alleged victims would deserve real justice if that were the case.”
How to get help: In the U.S., call the RAINN National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 to connect with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area.
