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Met Gala Throwback: When Jay Z, Beyonce And Solange Got Into The Infamous Elevator Fight
The literal brawl between Solange and Jay Z while Queen Bey stood silenced in a corner stormed the pop culture sphere, giving way to speculation about the root cause of it.
Trigger warning: This article contains references to violence and abuse.
A pop culture moment that has not ceased to exist is the infamous altercation between the power trio Beyonce, Jay Z, and Solange during a Met Gala after-party. A decade ago, Queen Bey’s family matters took a plunge into the public eye after shocking elevator footage of Solange assaulting her brother-in-law and rapper Jay Z went viral on the internet.
The literal brawl between Solange and Jay Z while Queen Bey stood silenced in a corner stormed the pop culture sphere, giving way to speculation about the root cause of it. Later, the stars released an official statement addressing the issue while not revealing much about what went down that night after the Gala. With the 2024 Met Gala unraveling, the gripping video of the power trio that once shook the internet is worth revisiting.
What sparked off between Beyonce, Jay Z, and Solange in 2014?
In one of the greatest Met Gala throwbacks yet, Beyonce’s family got into a heated exchange on an elevator after an incident at the event’s after-party in Standard Hotel on May 5, 2014. A family feud is common, but unfortunately, the footage of the dispute that quickly escalated into a physical altercation was leaked online leaving netizens wide-eyed and with burning questions. 
In the viral grainy black and white footage, Queen Bey could be seen stepping into the elevator and taking a position in a secluded corner of the elevator, presumably, knowing what was about to unfold. Her sister and singer, Solange and Jay Z followed moments later. Their security guard Julius also stepped in.
Within seconds, Solange faced off with the Empire State of Mind rapper eventually swinging her arms and attempting to kick him. Julius interfered and stopped the elevator around the 12th floor, per Metro. He distanced the two within the limited space of the elevator while Beyonce seemed frozen in the corner.
However, Beyonce tried to protect her husband after Solange’s second attempt to kick him. Moments later, the trio were out in front of the paparazzi keeping their cool, with the 42-year-old singer even wearing a professional smile. Solange seemed visibly upset while Jay Z, named Billboard’s greatest rapper of all time in 2023, held his other hand attacked by her sister-in-law.
Reports and insiders suggested that the altercation was due to Jay Z’s alleged cheating with rumored mistress and fashion designer Rachel Roy, which triggered Solange in the escalating situation. The 37-year-old songwriter is known to be overprotective of her famous sibling Beyonce. Other celebrities whose names got pulled into the controversy as the rapper’s alleged mistress were Rihanna and Rita Ora.
Beyonce and Jay Z have been married since 2008, and the latter has known Solange since she was in high school, per Metro.
While many of the questions remain unanswered still, the three celebrities released an official statement a week after the drama unfolded.
Beyonce, Jay Z, and Solange cleared the air on the Met Gala feud
Amid the rising speculation around the feud, it was only fair for the trio to break their silence. They released a joint statement that clarified that while the footage was authentic, the sole issue at hand was resolved with Jay Z and Solange, both taking responsibility for the controversy.
“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. Jay and Solange each assume their share of responsibility for what has occurred,” the statement continued. It also added that the duo had apologized to each other and they are moving forward as a “united family.”
In April 2016, Beyonce released the album Lemonade which had songs suggesting their elevator altercation. In the track, Sorry, the 32-time Grammy winner hinted at Jay Z’s alleged infidelity in their marriage with lyrics stating, “‘He only want me when I’m not there, He better call Becky with the good hair… He better call Becky with the good hair.’” This resulted in a surge of Google searches about Becky, with the statement ultimately becoming a famed pop culture term. The song also bolstered rumors about Jay-Z’s cheating allegations.
Besides that, she also showed off her sister Solange in the track Cosy from her Renaissance album, warning others not to “f*** with my sis/Cause she comfortable,” seemingly indicating the latter's decade-old feud with Jay Z.
However, the family has let it all go in the past. Only months after the heated exchange, Jay Z presented Queen Bey the MTV Video Vanguard Award at the 2014 VMAs. The rapper also attended Solange’s wedding to Alan Ferguson in November 2014, per US Weekly.
In other news, Beyonce did not attend the 2024 Met Gala on May 6, Monday.
Disclaimer: If you need support or know someone who is struggling with domestic violence or assault or abuse, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist, NGO or speak to someone about it. There are several helplines available for the same.
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