Jay-Z Looked ‘Tentative’ Following Beyoncé’s Grammy Win, Body Language Expert Says
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter finally won Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards in 2025. Cowboy Carter brought Beyoncé into the realm of country music, and she (once again) proved her incredible range across genres. The Grammys served as a time to celebrate her accomplishments and put the allegations that Jay-Z, real name Shawn Carter, currently faces on the back burner. Here’s what a body language expert said about Jay-Z looking “tentative” after Beyoncé’s win.
A body language expert explained Jay-Z’s gestures when Beyoncé won Album of the Year
Jay-Z didn’t stand out at the Grammy Awards, and he didn’t make a huge fuss when his wife, Beyoncé, won Album of the Year. Body language expert Patti Wood told Women’s Health that Jay-Z had a “tentativeness” to his gestures when celebrating Beyoncé.
According to Wood, Taylor Swift and Jay-Z exchanged a pleasant moment during the Album of the Year announcement. When it was announced that Cowboy Carter won, Swift had her head “sideways” and chin “jutted out” as if to amp up the crowd over the win. As for Jay-Z, he had an “interpersonal” smile that differed greatly from Swift’s grand gestures.
“His hold on the glass is unusual — it’s much more tentative,” Wood noted.
The expert also noted how Jay-Z held his elbow and arm close to his sides, giving the impression he didn’t want the attention on him. “It’s not lifted up to say, ‘You’re darn right,’ it’s more like, ‘Aw, thank you. I feel it,’” she continued.
Wood noted that Swift turned to face Jay-Z while publicly congratulating Beyoncé. “She wants to make a statement to him,” the expert continued. “She’s saying, ‘I’m just going to put this out there. This is the way I feel.'”
Another body language expert said Jay-Z shows ‘closeness and respect’ for his mother-in-law
Jay-Z faces serious allegations in 2025. A woman anonymously came forward and accused Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs of raping her when she was 13 years old at a VMA afterparty in 2000. Jay-Z has denied the claims and explained the stress the allegations have put on Beyoncé and their children.
Body language expert Judi James spoke to DailyMail.com about one of the first public appearances Beyoncé and Jay-Z made following the allegations. The couple attended the premiere of Mufasa: The Lion King to support their daughter, Blue Ivy Carter. Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles, also attended.
“It’s not uncommon for a wife to perform a PDL (Public display of loyalty) when a star is the subject of accusations, but a mother-in-law is another level of support,” James explained. “Tina’s poses with both her daughter and in the family line-up suggest a desired projection of unity and strength and the formation of the line-up in particular looks telling.”
James noted that Jay-Z’s pose with the family showed him “primarily focused on Tina.”
“He even has his hand that is closest to Beyoncé placed in his pocket, but his free arm around his mother-in-law, a gesture that she reciprocates, making her singled out for a ritual of closeness and respect,” the expert continued.
Beyoncé chooses to put up a ‘united front’ in the wake of the allegations
Beyoncé and Jay-Z made a statement by attending the Mufasa premiere and heading to the Grammy Awards in 2025. An insider told The U.S. Sun that while Disney initially hesitated over Beyoncé and Jay-Z attending the Mufasa premiere, Beyoncé made the call.
“At the end of the day, it was Beyoncé’s call,” the insider alleged. “They allowed her to decide how she thought was best to handle the situation; that’s how much Disney trusts and values her. And the way she wanted to handle it was to smile, put on a united front standing by her man, but also celebrate her daughter.”
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