Beyoncé and Michelle Obama's Complete Friendship Timeline Is So Inspiring

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The bad news: none of us are personal friends with Beyoncé or Michelle Obama. The good news: They are friends with each other. These icons have been close since back in 2009 (when Bey sang at the inauguration!) and the time has come to look back on a friendship that can only be described as equal parts inspiring and beautiful. To put it simply: They are constantly raising the bar for all of us!

January 20, 2009

Beyoncé sings "At Last" at President Barack Obama's inauguration, and it's completely stunning.

May 3, 2011

Bey surprises students in Harlem as part of Michelle's "Let's Move" initiative. Love that she stepped out to support FLOTUS!

May 22, 2011

Michelle joins family and friends to introduce Beyoncé's performance of "Run the World (Girls)" at the Billboard Music Awards.

July 16, 2012

Beyoncé writes a letter to Michelle to thank her for everything she's doing for our country. Listen below and try not to cry.

September 18, 2012

Jay Z and Beyoncé hold a fundraiser for President Obama. According to the Washington Post, Bey introduced POTUS by saying “I can’t tell you how proud we are to host tonight’s event with President Obama.... We believe in his vision.”

January 21, 2013

Jay and Bey attend Obama's second inauguration! We were living through the best of times and didn't even realize it.

July 30, 2015

Michelle is asked what she'd do if she wasn't First Lady of the United States and says, “I would be Beyoncé.” The only acceptable answer to this question.

September 26, 2015

Bey and Michelle share a sweet hug on stage at the Global Citizen Festival.

January 17, 2019

Bey posts a pic of Michelle as a little girl in honor of her birthday.

April 16, 2019

Michelle is named one of TIME's 100 Most Influential People, and Beyoncé writes an entire essay about her. She kicks it off by saying, "Loving Michelle Obama wasn’t much of a choice. It was something that came naturally, because of how she carried herself. Because she resembled us and was moving in spaces where, as black Americans, we weren’t exactly meant to be, she seemed so powerful. When I first met her, I was embraced by a warm, regal, confident woman who possessed a reassuring calm, on the eve of President Obama’s historic first Inauguration. The way she looked, walked and spoke, in that warm but authoritative tone, we saw our mothers and sisters. She was strong and ambitious and spoke her mind without sacrificing honesty or empathy. That takes a lot of courage and discipline."

Bey goes on to add, "She would’ve been impactful simply by being in the White House, the first African-American First Lady. But she also used her position of power to improve the world around her. Her initiative Reach Higher, for example, encourages young people to complete their education past high school. She empowers all of us to interrogate our fears and surpass greatness. I’m honored to know such a brilliant black woman who’s spoken about the sacrifice it takes to balance her passions while remaining a supportive partner and mother, and now a best-selling author with Becoming. She has continued to open herself up, even if it meant being criticized. She has continued to be a portrait of grace."

She ended the essay saying, "I am so grateful that my daughters and my son live in a world where Michelle Obama shines as a beacon of hope who inspires all of us to do better and to be better."

April 18, 2019

Michelle drops her ICONIC "Hey, Queen! Girl, you have done it again" video message to Bey to celebrate the release of Homecoming.

June 21, 2022

Michelle hops on Twitter to tell everyone how obsessed she is with "Break My Soul"—and references her ~girl you have done it again~ meme while she's at it.

September 4, 2023

Michelle joins the rest of the world in wishing Beyoncé happy birthday on Twitter!

April 2, 2024

Michelle calls out Cowboy Carter for being an iconic masterpiece and encourages people to vote while she's at it!

We'll keep this updated with more Beyoncé and Michelle friendship moments as they come. 'Til then, busy listening to "Bodyguard" and living in the past (2009).

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