Beyoncé and JAY-Z celebrated their 16th wedding anniversary on April 4, but this throwback footage reveals that the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer was once just a fan of her future husband
Beyoncé is one of the most famous and accomplished women on the planet — but when her career with Destiny’s Child was kicking off in the early aughts, she was also just a fun-loving pop star who couldn’t stop giggling at her teleprompter fails.
In a throwback blooper reel posted on Instagram on April 3 by award-winning documentary filmmaker Beth Aala, which was taken when she worked for MTV in 2000, Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams are seen cracking up as they attempt to do the Top 20 countdown during Spring Break 2000.
“I suck!” Beyoncé says while laughing as they kept failing at reading the prompter, adding that they needed to make a blooper reel out of all their mistakes.
The Destiny’s Child stars went on to announce all the bands who were in the Top 20, including Limp Bizkit, *NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys. Beyoncé’s future husband, JAY-Z, also made the lineup — his first major solo hit in 2000 was ‘Big Pimpin’.
The trio continued laughing as they announced JAY-Z’s song.
“You know if your mama calls you Shawn, I’m gonna call you Shawn,” Williams joked about the rapper, whose real name is Shawn Carter. “That was Shawn Carter spicing up Spring Break.”
Of course, just a year later in 2001, Beyoncé and JAY-Z began quietly dating.
In 2002, JAY-Z released “’03 Bonnie & Clyde” featuring his future wife; a year later, she featured him in her “Crazy in Love” music video.
But it wasn’t until 2004 that the couple made their red-carpet debut at the MTV VMAs in Miami.
They secretly married in 2008, and welcomed their first child, daughter Blue Ivy, in 2012. They later welcomed twins Rumi and Sir in 2017.
In a 2008 Seventeen cover story, Beyoncé opened up about the usually private couple’s relationship.
“I guess probably that we’re all human,” she said at the time. “You still get sad, and you still get your feelings hurt, and you still get confused and vulnerable and nervous and scared.”
She added, “You have to find a person you can make it through the tough times with.”
Six years later, in 2014, JAY-Z and Blue Ivy took the stage at the VMAs to present Beyoncé with the Video Vanguard Award.
“Thank you. I have nothing to say, but I’m thrilled with so much gratitude,” Beyoncé said after accepting the award. “I just thank God for this moment. I love y’all so much. My beloved, I love you. My fans, I love you. MTV, I love you. Good night!”
