July 3, 2025: Rita Ora is finally setting the record straight about the long-running rumor that linked her to Beyoncé’s infamous lyric — “Becky with the good hair.”
In a candid appearance on the Begin Again with Davina McCall podcast, the British singer and actress opened up about how Beyoncé became her “protector” during one of the most confusing and difficult times of her career.
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The drama began in 2016 when Beyoncé’s Lemonade album dropped, with the track “Sorry” sparking speculation about infidelity involving her husband, Jay-Z, and a mystery woman — dubbed “Becky with the good hair.” At the time, many fans speculated that Ora, who was signed to Jay-Z’s label Roc Nation, was the woman in question.
Ora, now looking back, clarified:“None of that was real… I wish I had good hair.”She revealed that while the rumors swirled publicly, Beyoncé was nothing but supportive behind the scenes.“She was my fairy godmother. She was my protector. There was nothing but love,” Ora said. “She even came to my first New York show at The Box.”
Ora admitted the controversy left her deeply confused.“I was filming Fifty Shades of Grey and I just didn’t understand what was happening. I kept asking myself, ‘What did I do?’”
She decided to clear the air at the 2016 Met Gala, where she posted a selfie with Beyoncé that quickly went viral and helped shut down the speculation.“Then it was gone,” she said. “Because there was never anything there in the first place.”
Ora had also denied the rumors in a 2022 interview, calling the situation a bizarre coincidence and reiterating that she had no connection to the lyric or the drama.