Beyonc and JAY-Z: A Timeline of Their Ups and Downs Over 15 Years of Marriage

Beyoncé and JAY-Z celebrated their fifteenth wedding anniversary in April, marking a major marriage milestone for music’s most powerful duo.

The pair, who started dating after collaborating on the 2002 hit, "03 Bonnie and Clyde," tied the knot in a secret ceremony on April 4, 2008, and are parents to an 11-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy, and 5-year-old twins, Rumi and Sir. 

Bey and Jay have been through a lot in their time as a married couple, from epic pregnancy announcements and heartbreaking miscarriage revelations to Lemonade, elevators and everything in between. Here’s a look at some of the biggest moments in their 15 years as Mr. and Mrs. Carter.

2008: Putting a Ring on It

Leave it to Beyonce to tie the knot in the same year she dropped her iconic anthem to matrimony (or lack thereof), "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)." The singer released her third studio album, I Am… Sasha Fierce, in October 2008, and publicly revealed her April nuptials to JAY-Z at a listening party for the album that same month.

2009: Making History "At Last"

Bey and Jay attended President Barack Obama’s first inauguration on January 20, 2009, where Beyonce performed "America the Beautiful." Later, at the inaugural ball, she sang Etta James’ classic ballad “At Last” for the president’s dance with First Lady Michelle Obama. 

Four years later, the singer would perform the national anthem at President Obama's second inauguration.

2011: Baby, Baby, It’s True

After an announced career hiatus in 2010 -- during which she split professionally from her father, Mathew Knowles, who had been serving as her manager -- Beyonce returned to music in 2011 with 4, her fourth studio album, which featured hits like "Run the World (Girls)," "Countdown," and "Love on Top."

And it was "Love on Top" that gave fans the jaw-dropping pregnancy reveal they were waiting for at the 2011 VMAs, when Beyonce ended her performance by cradling her baby bump, confirming that the couple were expecting their first child, while JAY-Z celebrated with Kanye West in the audience.

2012: Blue Ivy In All Her "Glory"

The couple’s daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, was born on January 7, 2012. Two days later, JAY-Z released "Glory," a song dedicated to his daughter, which revealed that the couple had suffered a miscarriage prior to Blue’s birth.

"Last time the miscarriage was so tragic / We was afraid you'd disappear / But nah, baby, you magic."

JAY-Z sampled his daughter’s cries at the end of the track, crediting her simply as "B.I.C." When the song debuted at number 74 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, Blue Ivy Carter became the youngest person ever to appear on a Billboard chart, at just two days old.

2013: Life Is But a Dream

The couple rarely shared photos of Blue Ivy in her first few months, keeping their daughter largely out of the public spotlight until Beyonce’s autobiographical HBO film, Life Is But a Dream, released in February 2013. The film detailed the singer’s miscarriage, and professional split from her father, and concluded with footage of her cradling Blue Ivy and spending time with family.

"God is real," Beyonce told the cameras, growing emotional as she talked about her mother and daughter. "It’s a tingling, it’s love. I feel it when I look at my child, I feel it when I look at my husband. It's God."

2013: Changing the Game With That Digital Drop

In 2013, Bey embarked on her Mrs. Carter Show World Tour, which included frequent appearances from her husband, and JAY-Z returned the favor, featuring his wife on a track on his Magna Carta Holy Grail album. But the game changed on Dec. 13, when Beyonce released her eponymous fifth studio album without any prior announcement or promotion.

In addition to hits like "Flawless," "Partition," "XO," and "Pretty Hurts," the Beyonce album featured Bey and Jay’s latest collaboration, “Drunk in Love,” which many saw as a follow-up to their 2003 track "Crazy in Love." The sultry song peaked at no. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and would go on to win GRAMMY Awards for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance.

2014: The Billion-Dollar Elevator

Beyonce and JAY-Z attended the 2014 Met Gala in style, but the real headlines about the couple weren’t made until the next week, when surveillance footage surfaced of Beyonce’s younger sister, Solange, lunging at her brother-in-law in an elevator following the event.

Rumors ran rampant that the spat was related to infidelity on Jay’s part, but the family stayed mum at the time, putting out a statement that said, in part, "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. They both acknowledge their role in this private matter that has played out in the public. They both have apologized to each other and we have moved forward as a united family."

"We had one disagreement ever -- before and after we’ve been cool," JAY-Z told Rap Radar in August 2017, noting that he and Solange had since put the matter behind them. "She’s like my sister. I will protect her. That’s my sister, not my sister-in-law. My sister. Period."

Beyonce seemed to make her own statement on the matter a few months after the Met Gala, in a remix of her single "Flawless," featuring Nicki Minaj.

"Of course sometimes s*** go down / when it's a billion dollars on an elevator," Bey sang.

2014: Going On the Run

To support the Beyonce album, as well as Magna Carta Holy Grail, the musical power couple embarked on their first joint tour, the 21-stop On the Run Tour, in 2014. After 19 shows across North America, Bey and Jay concluded the tour with a two-night stop in Paris, France, which was recorded for an HBO concert event that premiered on September 20.

The tour setlist featured hits from both artists' catalogs, as well as their collaborations like "Crazy in Love," "Drunk in Love," "03 Bonnie and Clyde" and "Tom Ford." Video interludes that played throughout the shows included black-and-white vignettes of the pair playing outlaws, as well as new home video footage of JAY-Z, Beyonce and Blue Ivy as a family.

2014: Video Vanguard

Beyonce was presented with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2014 VMAs, but Blue Ivy stole the show, making her television debut and dancing along to her mom’s epic 16-minute medley.

Following the performance, Jay and Blue took the stage to present Bey with the award. Her husband dubbed her the "greatest living entertainer," but all eyes were still on Blue, who brought her mom to tears with adorable applause and a super sweet "Yeah, Mommy!"

2015: Return to the Met

Bey and Jay made their post-elevator return to the Met Gala the very next year, with the singer wearing a stunning, sheer Givenchy gown that made it clear all headlines would be about her this time around.

A few months prior, the couple also took their next steps towards mogul status, when JAY-Z acquired Aspiro, a Norwegian media technology company that operates the subscription-based music streaming service Tidal, which would serve as an exclusive platform for many of the couple's forthcoming musical releases.

2016: 'Lemonade' Sweetens the Sour

On April 23, 2016, Beyonce made history yet again with the release of her sixth studio album, Lemonade, which was accompanied by a 65-minute HBO film of the same name. Unquestionably Bey’s most personal and revealing work to date, Lemonade explored subjects of race, feminism and equality, while also seemingly laying bare the singer’s marital struggles and furthering speculation about JAY-Z’s infidelity.

"How did it come down to this, going through your call list? I don't wanna lose my pride, but I'ma f*** me up a b***h." Bey crooned in "Hold Up," while the far-more-fiery “Don’t Hurt Yourself” stated flat-out, "You try this s**t again, you gon' lose your wife." 

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The album ended on a redemptive note -- and Jay made his first appearance towards the end of the film, in a quiet moment with his wife during the compromising ballad "Sandcastles." However, it was a line in "Sorry" that ultimately sparked a social media frenzy. "He only want me when I’m not there," Beyonce sang. "He better call Becky with the good hair."

Fans speculated that the "Becky" in question could be singer Rita Ora or fashion designer Rachel Roy, though both women denied the rumors.

While we may never know Becky’s true identity for certain, there's no denying that Lemonade was a masterpiece, not just for its emotional honesty but also for its powerful lyrics and incredible instrumentation. Even Adele herself couldn’t believe it when 25 beat it out for the Album of the Year GRAMMY.

2017: Two New Carters

In February 2017, Beyonce took to Instagram to announce that she and Jay were expecting two more additions to their family -- twins!

"We would like to share our love and happiness. We have been blessed two times over," Bey captioned a stunning pic posing with her bare baby belly and a massive wreath of flowers. "We are incredibly grateful that our family will be growing by two, and we thank you for your well wishes."

The family welcomed a daughter, Rumi, and a son, Sir, on June 13, and Beyonce recreated her pregnancy announcement pic to introduce the twins to the world one month later.

2017: 4:44 Takes Its Time

June 2017 saw JAY-Z releasing his 13th studio album, 4:44. The rapper later revealed that the 10-track recording was intended to be a joint album alongside Lemonade, but due to its later release, it served as a sort of response, with Jay addressing everything from the Met Gala elevator, to his infidelity, to the couple’s newborn twins, lamenting, "I'll f*** up a good thing if you let me."

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"You egged Solange on / knowing all along all you had to say you was wrong," Jay rhymed in the opening track, "Kill JAY-Z," later referencing another infamously accused cheater: "You almost went Eric Benét, let the baddest girl in the world get away."

But just like Lemonade, 4:44 carried with it a message of hope and unity. As Jay put it, "Nobody wins when the family feuds."

"Took for these natural twins to believe in miracles. Took me too long for this song, I don't deserve you," he marveled on the album’s title track."My heart breaks for the day I have to explain my mistakes and the mask goes away."

2017: "Family Feud" Video Sends Blue to the White House

Jay’s music video for 4:44’s "Family Feud" was a star-studded family affair, with both Beyonce and Blue Ivy making stunning appearances in the Ava DuVernay-directed Tidal exclusive.

Other stars in the epic video included Michael B. Jordan, Thandie Newton, Trevante Rhodes, Rashida Jones, Constance Wu, Rosario Dawson, Niecy Nash, Janet Mock, Mindy Kaling, Jessica Chastain, David Oyelowo and Brie Larson.

But the best part? Jay’s video envisions Blue Ivy as the future president, casting This Is Us star Susan Kelechi Watson to play the powerful POTUS, seated alongside her diverse, all-female Cabinet.

2018: Blowing the "Top Off" New Rumors

DJ Khaled reunited with the “Shining” married pair for another duet in March 2018, releasing his new song "Top Off," which featured Bey, Jay and rapper Future. But in between boasts about their Maybach convertible, the quartet’s track threw some fuel on the latest BeyHive rumor: allegations that an unnamed actress bit Beyonce on the face at an L.A. after-party in December.

Girls Trip star Tiffany Haddish started the rumor mill turning, but recently said she’s been sworn to secrecy with an NDA.

"If they're tryna party with the queen, they gon' have to sign a non-disclosure," Bey tellingly croons on "Top Off."

2018: On the Run Again

2018 was a massive year for the couple. Apart from Bey’s headlining set at Coachella -- rescheduled from last year, when she was pregnant with the twins -- they also announced in March that they were headed back out on the road together for the On the Run II tour.

Beyonce confirmed the news with three black-and-white posts on Instagram, including a video of a few sweet moments between the two during their first On the Run tour set to Marcia Aitken's "I'm Still in Love With You."

In June of 2018, while on tour in London, the couple shocked fans and the world by releasing a new joint album called Everything Is Love. The nine-track LP, which lists the powerhouse couple simply as The Carters, debuted only on Tidal at the time.

2018: Joint Projects

They also dropped the video for the track "Apesh*t, simultaneously, which was shot on location at The Louvre in Paris a month prior.

"You've all given so much love every time we come here -- thank you. Because we love you all so much we have something special for y'all," Beyoncé told the crowd. "We want you guys to be the first to experience this new project. And we have a new visual for you guys. 

2019: All About the Accolades

Beyoncé and JAY-Z added another trophy to their Grammy collection after winning the award for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 2019 GRAMMY Awards for their joint album, Everything Is Love. The win was Beyoncé's 23rd Grammy and JAY-Z's 22nd.

They were honored again, shortly after, at the NAACP Image Awards. Beyoncé received the Entertainer of the Year trophy, while JAY-Z won the president's award. The couple gave a joint speech, in which JAY-Z dedicated his award to the "strong women" in his life, including his wife Bey.

2020: Champagne Dreams

Beyoncé and JAY-Z brought their own champagne, Jay-Z's co-owned Armand de Brignac, to the 2020 Golden Globes. The pair were outed by Los Angeles Times reporter Amy Kaufman, who spotted the couple's bodyguard holding two bottles of Jay's champagne brand upon entering the event.

2020: Super Bowl Date Night

February 2020 was the last time the couple was spotted in public before the COVID-19 pandemic began in March. Ahead of attending Super Bowl LIV, Beyoncé and JAY-Z spent time in Miami, enjoying the nightlife and some time on the town before the big game.

2021: A Return to Some Normalcy

Bey and Jay sat for Game 1 of the NBA playoffs between the Brooklyn Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks in Brooklyn, New York. Both Beyoncé and JAY-Z were dressed in black-and-white outfits to support the Brooklyn Nets, which were formerly co-owned by the rapper. Bey, meanwhile, rocked a black face mask as she continued to take health precautions amidst the pandemic.

2021: The Carters at Tiffany's

After launching the About Love campaign for Tiffany & Co. in September, the jeweler released another advertisement featuring the couple --  a Breakfast at Tiffany's inspired short film.

Titled "Date Night," the quick clip depicts the couple enjoying pizza and champagne while seated in the back seat of a Rolls-Royce before the couple's oldest daughter, Blue Ivy, joins in on the fun.

2022: Oscars Night Out

Beyoncé opened the 2022 Academy Awards with her Oscar-nominated song "Be Alive" from the film King Richard. Following the performance, set on a tennis court in Compton, California -- where Serena and Venus Williams famously practiced -- Bey and Jay joined the ceremony, with Beyoncé wearing a yellow gown and carrying a tennis ball-shaped purse as a nod to the six-time Oscar-nominated film.

2023: Making Grammys History

Beyoncé became the most awarded individual in the history of the GRAMMY Awards at the 65th annual awards show in February 2023. She won her 32nd trophy for Best Dance/Electronic Music Album for her album, Renaissance. The award officially took her past conductor Georg Solti, who had long held the record with 31 competitive wins. 

"Thank you so much. I'm trying not to be too emotional. And I'm trying to just receive this night," she said during her acceptance speech. "I want to thank God for protecting me. Thank you, God. I'd like to thank my uncle Johnny, who's not here. But he's here in spirit. I'd like to thank my parents, my father, my mother, for loving me and pushing me."

"I'd like to thank my beautiful husband, my beautiful three children who are at home watching," Beyoncé added of her husband, JAY-Z, and their kids, 11-year-old Blue and 5-year-old twins Rumi and Sir. "I'd like to thank the queer community for your love and for inventing this genre. God bless you. Thank you so much to the GRAMMYs. Thank you."

Beyoncé's 29th, 30th and 31st wins were for Best Dance/Electronic Recording, Best Traditional R&B Performance and Best R&B Song. Additionally, she and JAY-Z made history together, sharing the record for the most nominations ever, with 88 each. For Beyoncé, that includes her time as a solo artist and with Destiny's Child.  

2023: 15 Years Together

The couple marked 15 years of marriage on April 4, 2023. While they didn't make their celebrations public, Bey was likely prepping for her Renaissance World Tour with her hubby and her children by her side, as they prepared to head to Europe and across the U.S. for Bey's big return to the stage.

2023 Renaissance World Tour is a Family Affair

Bey kicked off her highly-anticipated Renaissance World Tour in May 2023 at the Friends Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. Starting the show with "Dangerously in Love," Beyoncé provided the crowd with both a show/concert, performing "Flaws and All," "1+1," "I'm Goin' Down" and "I Care" before moving on to tracks from her Renaissance album, which she dropped last July.

Jay-Z and Blue Ivy were front and center when Bae took the stage. It was quite the scene, as Beyonce has not toured on her own since 2016 when she kicked off her Formation Tour.

Fans would not get a glimpse of her again until April 2018 when she headlined Coachella. Two months later, Beyonce and Jay-Z kicked off a four-month tour for their joint On the Run II Tour.

2023: Big Bank

Later that month, Bey and Jay dropped a whopping $200 million for an opulent compound in Malibu. According to TMZ, which first broke the news, the power couple plunked down the small fortune (by their standards, anyway) for the 30,000-square-foot home in an area known as Billionaire's Row. The outlet reported that the purchase price makes the sale the most expensive real estate ever sold in California, surpassing the previous record of $177 million.

2023: Front Row Fashion

While on a break from her Renaissance World Tour, Beyoncé and Jay-Z stepped out for friend Pharrell Williams' Louis Vuitton fashion show in Paris, France.

Bey gave fans a closer look at her and Jay's LV duds on Instagram, showing off her golden yellow satin menswear look, while Jay rocked a casual suit.

In addition to showing off the fashion house's new line, Williams performed, taking the stage with Jay-Z to perform their 2003 hit, "Frontin.'" Williams also brought a choir from his hometown to Paris for the show.

2023: Star-studded Summer in the Hamptons

Beyoncé and Jay-Z were among the famous faces in attendance at Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin and Camille Fishel's annual white party earlier this month. The affair, held at their swanky Hamptons estate, drew some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment. 

Bey and Jay stuck to the dress code for the occasion, with the singer wearing a white dress and sparkling shades, and Jay opted for a white button-up and white pants, which he paired with an off-white colored carpe and bucket hat for the beachside soirée.

See more on the musical power couple in the video below. 

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