Rita Ora Sets The Record Straight On Her Rumored Ties To Jay-Z's Infidelity
Rita Ora has denied an incredibly controversial rumor that she had an affair with Jay-Z, but now she's setting the record straight on the evidence surrounding the claim. In 2016, Beyoncé released her sixth studio album, "Lemonade," and made it clear that her husband Jay-Z had apparently cheated on her, per the Daily Beast. The details of the rumored affair remained a mystery, although Beyoncé famously labeled the mistress "Becky with the good hair" in her hit single "Sorry." Eventually, Jay-Z admitted to his infidelity to The New York Times in 2017. He revealed that, during a difficult time in his life, he shut down emotionally and went into complete "survival mode." The rapper added, "In my case, ... it's deep. And then all the things happen from there: infidelity."
Ora added fuel to the fire when she split from Jay-Z's record label, Roc Nation, in 2017. After a six-month legal battle, the "Ritual" singer was able to break free from her contract, per The Daily Mail, although it was unclear why she wanted to leave. In 2018, Ora playfully shot down the rumor of the affair in an interview with The Sunday Times. "All I want to say to that is, dude, if I were [Becky with the good hair], wouldn't I actually have to have good hair?" Ora expressed. "Look at it. It's all weave and extensions."
Still, fans were convinced Ora was Becky. Years after the controversy, she's finally addressing all of the apparent evidence.
Rita Ora is making it clear she was never Becky
Although Jay-Z and Beyoncé have apparently repaired their marriage following the rapper's previous infidelity, his mistress' identity remains a mystery. Fans were convinced that Rita Ora was the other woman in Jay-Z's life, but the singer is denying the claim once again. In her December 2022 interview on BBC's Louis Theroux Interviews..., she set the record straight on something fans have constantly pointed to as evidence. Ora was reportedly spotted wearing a necklace with the "J" initial in 2016, but things aren't always what they seem. Ora claimed, "It wasn't a J, it was an R. They flipped it 'round and then it looked like a J" (via E! News). She insisted that she just had to "sit through" the rumor circulating online until things calmed down. Eventually, she was able to laugh about it. She even revealed, "Katy Perry gave me a hilarious badge that said 'Not Becky.'"
This is not the first time Ora has attempted to shut down this rumor. At the height of the controversy in 2016, she tweeted, "I never usually address tabloid gossip but let me be clear, these rumors are false." She followed up with another tweet saying, "I have nothing but the utmost respect for Beyonce. Let's continue enjoying Lemonade."
Ora appears to be sick of talking about it, telling Theroux it becomes a "bit annoying" to constantly chat about gossip instead of her successful career.