Beyoncé & Jay-Z’s Official Relationship Timeline
No power couple in the entertainment industry holds more weight than Beyoncé and Jay-Z. The Destiny's Child alum and self-made rapper have now been married for over ten years, but they've been together for almost 20! They've been through the worst and back within the many years of their relationship, and for a while, many believed they were going to call it quits. They may be happy as ever now, but here's a look back at everything it took to get there.
Beyoncé Started Dating Jay-Z When She Was 19
Beyoncé and Jay-Z most met in the late '90s. "I was 18 when we first met, 19 when we first started dating," she told Seventeen magazine in 2008. Shortly after they met, they both appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair's music issue in 2001.
Years later in 2013, Jay recalled that it was at that shoot when they "were just beginning to try to date each other... you know, you've got to try first. You got to dazzle... wine and dine." With all those brief encounters, it wasn't long before they started working together as well.
Bey And Jay Start Working Together
In 2001, Destiny's Child announced they were going on a hiatus to pursue solo careers. Beyoncé's first taste of recording solo came when she was featured on Jay-Z's "03 Bonnie & Clyde" in 2002. They acted strictly professional when they subsequently appeared on MTV's TRL to promote the track and were coy about their relationship.
In 2003, Bey released her first solo album Dangerously in Love which contained the lead single "Crazy in Love" featuring Jay-Z, making it hard to believe they weren't an item. The song became Bey's first No. 1 single as a solo artist.
It Was Clear That They Were An Item
In 2004, Jay-Z and Beyoncé made their first red carpet appearance together at the MTV Video Music Awards. This happened after they performed "Crazy in Love" together at the previous year's ceremony.
At this point, Bey and Jay have already made tons of references to each other in their songs. In Dangerously in Love's "Signs," Bey sings about being in love with a Sagittarius, and Jay's birthday is on December 4th. On The Black Album's "Public Service Announcement," Jay says he's "got the hottest chick in the game wearin' my chain."
Jay-Z Was Rumored To Be Hooking Up With Rihanna
With the couple's relationship out in the open, it wasn't long before the rumors started swirling. In 2005, Rihanna's career was taking off with the help of Jay-Z. Rihanna was Jay's protégé and labelmate, but many people started speculating that there was something more going on.
Even though Rihanna's publicist later admitted that she cooked up the rumors to get Rih's career on track, it didn't stop Beyoncé from adding "Ring the Alarm" and "Resentment" to her B'Day album. Many people thought that those songs were written in response to Jay's alleged affair with Rihanna.
They Still Had To Focus On Their Individual Careers
umors aside, it wouldn't be too off base to assume that Jay and Bey had their fair share of relationship issues otherwise. In 2006's Kingdom Come, Jay-Z raps in "Lost One": "But she loves her work more than she does me / And honestly, at 23 / I would probably love my work more than I did she."
In her Seventeen magazine interview years earlier, Bey did say, "Before the age of 25, I would never get married. I feel like you have to... be proud of who you are before you can share that with someone else."
Beyoncé Celebrated 25 Years Of Life With An Album
Coincidentally, the same year that Jay dropped Kingdom Come was the same year that Bey dropped B'Day on her 25th birthday. This came shortly after Jay's alleged affair with Rihanna, yet he still appeared on the songs "Déjà Vu" and "Upgrade U."
Whatever people tried to make of "Ring the Alarm" and "Resentment," Beyoncé's father claimed that the songs pertaining to Rihanna were just rumors meant to ruin the album's release. It really had no effect, however, since B'Day debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 and "Irreplaceable" became an international success.
Beyoncé And Jay-Z Had A Super-Secret Wedding
Like any strong couple, Beyoncé and Jay-Z seem to work through their differences privately, but come out stronger in the end. This explains why on April 4, 2008 – after six years of dating – Bey and Jay secretly tied the knot at a private ceremony in the latter's Tribeca penthouse.
Not very many people knew about the wedding until after it happened. In an interview with Oprah, Jay-Z said that it was "very small. Maybe 30 people." No photos were released publicly, but fans caught a glimpse of that day in footage for the "On the Run" tour.
Mr. And Mrs. Carter Were Busy At Work
After their top-secret wedding, Beyoncé and Jay-Z went on focusing on their respective careers. In 2008, Beyoncé dropped her third-consecutive number-one album, I Am... Sasha Fierce. Beyoncé made more hits with "If I Were a Boy," "Halo," and "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)."
Meanwhile, Jay-Z performed at a number of festivals, particularly the 2008 Glastonbury Festival. When the rapper was announced as a headliner, Noel Gallagher of Oasis criticized the decision. Jay responded to the controversy by saying that they should respect each other's genres, before he opened his set with a tongue-in-cheek cover of "Wonderwall."
Jay-Z And Beyoncé Show Their Support For Obama
In 2009, Beyoncé and Jay-Z attended former President Barack Obama's inauguration together. Later, Beyoncé performed Etta James's "At Last" at the first inaugural ball for the Obamas (Bey had portrayed Etta James in Cadillac Records the year prior).
In his interview with Oprah that year, Jay said, "Certain people just glow. I also know Bill Clinton. But I was willing to put that friendship at risk to support Obama, because Obama represents hope around the world. I would rather lose on the side of hope than win on the side of the favorite."
Baby Rumors Started Swirling
In October 2010, rumors befell the couple again, except this time they were baby rumors! Us Weekly claimed that sources close to the couple said that Beyoncé was already in her first trimester at that point.
But Bey's mom Tina Knowles quickly took action, telling Access Hollywood Live, "No, it's not true right now. It's gonna happen when it's time... but not right now. I harass her all the time. But, you know, it'll come when it's time." It seemed like many people were hoping for baby news, but Bey would be ready on her own time.
Beyoncé Announced Her Pregnancy On Stage
Since the baby rumors started, they wouldn't stop, despite many people in Bey and Jay's camps saying the rumors weren't true. But in August 2011, Beyoncé gave one of the most memorable performances of her life.
She performed "Love on Top" at the MTV Video Music Awards that year, beginning by saying, "I want you to feel the love that's growing inside of me." At the end of the performance, she unbuttoned her jacket to reveal a very apparent and growing baby bump! Everyone in attendance went wild as Bey finally confirmed that she and Jay-Z were expecting their first child together.
Of Course Beyoncé Was Glamorous As She Gave Birth
On January 7, 2012, Beyoncé and Jay-Z welcomed their daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, into the world. In true Queen Bey fashion, the singer maintained her glamour up until delivery.
She later told People, "I tried my best to roller-set my hair, and I wore my gloss when I arrived at the hospital. I committed to the end and wore my kitten heels. It makes me laugh thinking about it. But after many hours of labor, I didn't care how I looked. It was all about the miracle that God gave me – the opportunity to deliver a human being."
They Renewed Their Vows On Their Fourth Anniversary
In 2012, Jay-Z and Beyoncé are said to have celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary by renewing their vows. Sources say that the couple exchanged new rings at midnight on their wedding anniversary, which falls on April 4th.
The vow renewal ceremony was reportedly attended by many celebrity guests, such as Oprah, Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith, and others. Prior to the vow renewal, Jay was seen shopping for rare "Lumina" blue diamonds, but sources say that the couple gave each other new yellow gold bands. Beyoncé already had a diamond band from the initial wedding in 2008.
Beyoncé Revealed That She Suffered A Miscarriage
In 2013, Beyoncé and Jay-Z turned up once again at President Obama's second inauguration, at which Beyoncé performed the national anthem. The following month, Bey released an HBO documentary called Life Is But a Dream, in which she shares that she suffered a miscarriage before having Blue.
She later opened up to Oprah, saying, "I felt like there are so many couples that go through that and it was a big part of my story. It was one of the hardest things I've been through... I'm not the only person that goes through this. So many people go through this."
The Infamous Elevator Fight
In May 2014, TMZ released footage of Bey's sister Solange attacking Jay-Z in an elevator, while Bey herself stands by idly. They were leaving a Met Gala after party and it wasn't long before fans surmised that the fight was over Jay's infidelity, particularly with fashion designer Rachel Roy.
Following the fight, the family released a public statement to the Associated Press saying that they've worked things out and added, "At the end of the day families have problems and we're no different... We've put this behind us and hope everyone else will do the same."
Beyoncé Tells All In Lemonade
For much of 2014, tabloids claimed that Bey and Jay were on the verge of divorce, yet the couple remained together. It wasn't until April 2016, that everything came to the forefront with Beyoncé's release of Lemonade.
There were many songs that suggest Jay-Z cheated on Beyoncé, causing the Internet to go in a frenzy over a woman simply known as "Becky with the good hair." People pointed fingers at Rachel Roy, but also singer Rita Ora. However, there were just as many songs about reconciliation and still, the couple remained together through it all.
They Became Pregnant With Twins And Broke A Record
In February 2017, Beyoncé broke the Internet when she announced her second pregnancy, this time with twins! She posted a highly-stylized photo of herself in lingerie and a veil, clutching a newly bulging belly.
"We would like to share our love and happiness. We have been blessed two times over. We are incredibly grateful that our family will be growing by two, and we thank you for your well wishes," Beyoncé wrote on behalf of her and Jay-Z. Within eight hours of her posting the photo, she had garnered 6.33 million likes, which was a record at the time.
She Delivered Her Twins Via Emergency C-Section
Beyoncé delivered twins, Rumi and Sir Carter, on June 13, 2017. Beyoncé was 218 pounds the day she delivered and was swollen from toxemia, which prompted an emergency C-section.
She told Vogue of her journey: "I come from a lineage of broken male-female relationships, abuse of power, and mistrust. Only when I saw that clearly was I able to resolve those conflicts in my own relationship... I now believe it's why God blessed me with my twins. Male and female energy was able to coexist and grow in my blood for the first time."
Jay-Z Admitted His Wrongdoing In 4:44
The same month that his twins were born, Jay-Z dropped his 13th studio album, 4:44. The critically acclaimed album addressed much of the drama that Jay-Z found himself in over the past few years, including his marital problems with Beyoncé.
In "Family Feud" he mentions a "Becky," which was clearly a reference to Lemonade. In "Kill JAY-Z" he also references the fight he had with his sister-in-law Solange, admitting that he was wrong. With this album, fans finally caught a glimpse of the truth behind all of the rumors that have been surrounding them for years.
They Finally Released A Joint Album
Infidelity aside, one of the biggest rumors that surrounded the couple for many years was that they were working on a joint album together. In June 2018, they finally gave the fans what they've been waiting for with Everything Is Love, a joint album they released as "The Carters."
Like Lemonade and 4:44, Everything Is Love was full of revelatory remarks about the rumors that have been surrounding the couple for years. But considering that fact that despite it all they are still together with three beautiful children, Beyoncé and Jay-Z have only proven that they are a power couple who are not to be messed with.
