Beyoncé, Jay Z, Solange Knowles.
Getty Images (3)This post-prom brawl is one pop culture fans will never forget.
Beyonce, Jay Z And Solange KnowlesThe infamous Met Gala afterparty fight occurred on May 5, 2014 and quickly became the hottest topic in the entertainment industry. Fans couldn’t believe the footage released by TMZ of Jay-Z, now 54, arguing with his sister-in-law in the elevator at the Standard Hotel. At one point, surveillance video showed 37-year-old Solange punching and kicking the rapper while 42-year-old Beyoncé stood silently by.
An evening that was supposed to be about epic fashion and fundraising for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s various programs quickly turned into a saga involving one of music’s most successful families.
“Due to the release of the elevator security footage from Monday May 5th, there has been much speculation as to what triggered the unfortunate incident. But the most important thing is that our family made it,” the trio told the Associated Press in a statement days after the story broke. “Jay and Solange each accept their share of responsibility for what happened. Both acknowledge their role in this private matter that played out in public. They both apologized to each other and we moved forward as a united family.”
Ten years after the drama Us weekly looks back on the night in question and reveals where the parties stand today.
What really happened in the elevator?
There were no signs of family unrest on the Met Gala red carpet. Solange arrived on the designer’s arm Phillip Lim, whose dress she wore to the star-studded soiree. While Bey and Jay arrived fashionably late at the museum, they happily posed for photos before being escorted to the event.
The fun continued at the Met Gala afterparty at the Boom Boom Room at the Standard Hotel. Bey and Solange stormed onto the dance floor Naomi Campbellwhile Jay “stayed at one of the fireplace areas,” an eyewitness said Us weekly by the time. However, the same insider mentioned that the trio “abruptly left.”
Beyoncé and Jay-Z have shared rare glimpses into their children’s growing up over the years. The couple tied the knot in April 2008. Three years later, Beyoncé announced her pregnancy with a stunning onstage reveal during her performance at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards. Blue Ivy Carter was born the following January. “To be pregnant […]
Everything changed when Bey entered the elevator for the first time, with her younger sister, husband and another man following behind. Solange slowly cornered her brother-in-law before physically attacking her. While Solange threw punches and kicks in his direction, a man immediately responded by hitting the emergency stop switch in the elevator and began to overpower her.
After the incident, the trio released a joint statement saying they had apologized to each other and were moving on.
Where are Beyoncé and Jay-Z now?
In the months following the Met Gala incident, the power couple faced rumors that their marriage was on the rocks. But in August 2014, the two came to terms when Jay presented his wife with the MTV Video Vanguard Award at the MTV Video Music Awards.
The pair then worked together on albums and tours. They also cheered each other on during key career moments like Bey’s Super Bowl performance in 2016. In April 2023, they marked a milestone in their relationship by celebrating their 15th marriage anniversary.
Where are Beyoncé and Solange now?
For these wild sisters, any elevator drama is old news. The duo continued to support each other in their careers and family lives long after each incident at the Met Gala.
“I’m your biggest fan and I’m super proud of you,” Bey told her sister when she interviewed her interview magazine in 2017. “I remember thinking, ‘My little sister is going to be really special,’ because you always seemed to know what you wanted.”
Solange returned the favor as she said kind words about her older sister. “You were the most patient, loving, wonderful sister ever,” she said in the same interview. “I think in the 30 years we’ve been together we’ve only really clashed… we can count on one hand.”
Where are Jay-Z and Solange now?
Whatever bad blood the duo shared seems to have been forgotten. Months after the incident, Jay attended Solange’s wedding in November 2014 Alan Ferguson in New Orleans.
Three years later, Jay gave a glimpse into his unbreakable bond with his sister-in-law. “We ever had a disagreement. We were cool before and after,” the rapper said in an August 2017 “Rap Radar” podcast episode. “She’s like my sister. I will protect her. That’s my sister, not my sister-in-law. My sister. Period.”
Did Beyoncé reference the saga in her lyrics?
In the years since the incident, Bey has released several albums including Everything is love with Jay. While some fans believe her 2016 album, Lemonade, It’s about marital struggles that she once faced with her husband. The elevator incident seemed to be mentioned in a few songs.
While listening to “Cozy” on the 2022 album RenaissanceSome fans were intrigued by the lyrics: “May I suggest you don’t fuck my sister / Because she feels comfortable.”
Bey also apparently addressed the elevator incident when he released the “Flawless” remix in 2014. “We escalate, in this bitch like elevators,” Bey sings. “Of course, sometimes it doesn’t go down when there’s a billion dollars in the elevator.”