Music Don't miss out on the headlines from Music. Followed categories will be added to My News. 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.
