Fans lose it over Beyonce detail amid Jay-Z scandal

Eagle-eyed fans are convinced they’ve spotted a clue that Beyonce could be distancing herself from husband Jay-Z amid his legal troubles.

Eagle-eyed fans are convinced they’ve spotted a clue that could suggest Beyonce is distancing herself from husband Jay-Z as he faces an accusation that he raped a 13-year-old girl.

Forbes magazine today revealed its Forbes Power Women List, ranking the world’s most powerful women.

Beyonce is the second-highest ranked singer on the list at #35 (Taylor Swift comes in at #23), but one detail in her listing stuck out to fans of the star: She’s listed by her maiden name, Beyonce Knowles, rather than her married name of Beyonce Knowles-Carter.

Beyonce's entry on the Forbes list.

Beyonce and Jay-Z, real name Shawn Carter, have been married since 2008, and Bey has since then wholeheartedly embraced her husband’s surname, even using it to name tours (The Mrs Carter Show) and albums (this year’s Cowboy Carter).

Forbes not listing the “Carter” in her name led fans on social media to speculate that the listing might be Beyonce’s attempt to “soft launch (a) name change” to protect her brand from her husband’s unfolding scandal.

“lemme hear y’all say UH OH,” another fan quipped.

But fans thinking this is a new development are mistaken: In last year’s Forbes Power Women listing, Beyonce was also listed as “Knowles” only, as she was in 2022 (she placed #36 last year and #80 the year before).

And Beyonce and Jay-Z did show a very public united front after he was named in the lawsuit this week, stepping out with daughter Blue Ivy for the premiere of Disney’s upcoming Lion King sequel, Mufasa.

The film marks Blue Ivy’s movie debut, voicing the character Kiara.

Jay-Z and Beyonce made a very public statement days after he was named in a rape lawsuit this week. Picture: Lisa O'CONNOR / AFP

Earlier this week, Jay-Z, 55, was accused of raping a 13-year-old girl in an amended lawsuit from October.

On Sunday, the plaintiff, who filed as Jane Doe, revised her lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs to include Jay-Z.

In the lawsuit, the then-pre-teen alleged that she was raped by both rappers at a house party in 2000 while another female celebrity watched.

Jay-Z vehemently denied the “heinous” rape allegations, slamming lawyer Tony Buzbee for attention to “blackmail” him.

“What [Buzbee] had calculated was the nature of these allegations and the public scrutiny would make me want to settle,” the father of three said in a furious public statement issued on social media.

“No sir, it had the opposite effect! It made me want to expose you for the fraud you are in a VERY public fashion. So no, I will not give you ONE RED PENNY!!”

Forbes’ listing for Beyonce notes that, among other impressive displays of power, she and Jay-Z purchased a Malibu mansion last year for $US200m, making it the most expensive home ever sold in the state of California.

Beyonce and Jay-Z have an estimated joint fortune of $A3 billion, which an expert this week claimed could be at risk from the lawsuit.

“The mere accusations themselves can be very damaging,” said former prosecutor Neama Rahmani of West Coast Trial Lawyers.

Originally published as Fans lose it over Beyonce detail amid Jay-Z scandal