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On May 5, 2014, Beyoncé; her younger sister, Solange Knowles, who is also a singer; and Jay Z attended a Met Ball after-party at New York City’s Standard Hotel together. All three and a bodyguard entered an elevator together, and for an unknown reason, Solange physically attacked Jay Z. The reason we know this happened is because TMZ obtained leaked security footage from the hotel elevator that night:
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During the scuffle, Beyoncé did not get involved and mostly stared straight ahead as her bodyguard tried to hold Solange back:
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A statement on behalf of the Knowles and Carters was released three days after the video leaked. ”Jay and Solange each assume their share of responsibility for what has occurred. They both acknowledge their role in this private matter that has played out in the public,” the statement read.
Beyoncé didn’t personally address this until August, when she released the remix to her song “Flawless.” She blamed the elevator brawl on the amount of money she and Jay were worth:
”We escalatin’, up in this bitch like elevators,” she sang. “Of course sometimes shit goes down when there’s a billion dollars on an elevator.”
Were the lyrics accurate? Check the chart below:
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It is unclear whether Beyoncé’s occupational hazard theorem holds up. There have presumably been many times when billionaires such as Bill Gates or Warren Buffett have gotten into elevators, but security footage of those instances has not been leaked to TMZ.
