That Jay-Z, Solange Elevator Ride—& More Jaw-Dropping Met Gala Moments
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Originally appeared on E! Online
It was the elevator ride that went down…in history.
Ten years ago, on May 5, 2014, Beyoncé boarded a lift with her husband Jay-Z and her sister Solange Knowles during a Met Gala after-party at The Standard hotel in New York. What happened next wouldn't break their souls, but it would practically break the internet.
Security footage later leaked to TMZ showed Solange kicking and swiping at Jay-Z in the elevator as a bodyguard tried to hold her back and Beyoncé stood to the side. And while the trio exited the building as if nothing happened—though another video shared by the outlet showed Beyoncé and Solange leaving in one car and Jay-Z in another—the BeyHive was buzzing once they saw what occurred behind those closed doors.
For its part, The Standard hotel expressed shock and disappointment over the breach of its security system and guest confidentiality—vowing to investigate "with the utmost urgency the circumstances surrounding the situation" and firing the individual who leaked the recording.
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But by that point, internet sleuths had already gotten in formation to conduct their own investigation. In fact, there were so many rumors that Beyoncé, Jay-Z and Solange issued a joint statement to address the "great deal of speculation about what triggered the unfortunate incident."
"The most important thing is that our family has worked through it," the Grammy winners told the Associated Press in a message less than two weeks later. "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."
They also made it clear that any "reports of Solange being intoxicated or displaying erratic behavior throughout that evening are simply false." And while the situation did ring the alarm to some family discord, they reiterated they were standing together.
"At the end of the day families have problems and we're no different," Beyoncé, Solange and Jay-Z continued. "We love each other and above all we are family. We've put this behind us and hope everyone else will do the same."
Of course, that was easier said than done as many fans still had one big question: What did trigger that unfortunate incident? But as time went on, the stars reemphasized they were more focused on looking towards the future than bringing up the past.
"What's important is that my family and I are all good," Solange told Lucky magazine that summer. "What we had to say collectively was in the statement that we put out, and we all feel at peace with that."
A decade later, Beyoncé, Jay-Z and Solange still haven't directly confirmed or denied reports about what—or who—may have fueled the elevator fight. However, they have appeared to reference that night in their music.
Like when Beyoncé dropped her "***Flawless" remix with Nicki Minaj months after the incident and acknowledged, "Of course sometimes s--t go down when it's a billion dollars on an elevator." Or when Queen Bey released her 2022 song "COZY" and advised, "Might I suggest you don't f--k with my sis."
Jay-Z too seemed to give a nod to that moment on his 2017 track "Kill Jay Z," in which he rapped, "You egged Solange on / Knowin' all along, all you had to say you was wrong." And fans felt like they had déjà vu after Jay and Bey posed for pictures in an elevator together that same year—although this time they were all smiles.
While the couple has gone through challenges, as conveyed on Beyoncé's 20l6 album Lemonade, they've continued to put their love on top—raising 12-year-old daughter Blue Ivy along with 6-year-old twins Rumi and Sir and celebrating 16 years of marriage last month.
As for where Jay-Z and Solange stand?
"We had one disagreement ever," he said in a 2017 Rap Radar interview. "Before and after, we've been cool. She's like my sister. I will protect her. That's my sister, not my sister-in-law. My sister. Period."
If this trip down memory lane has left you in a Met Gala state of mind, keep reading for more unforgettable moments from over the years.
Kim Kardashian Arriving (Literally) Unrecognizable
For her red-carpet entrance at the 2021 Met Gala, the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star had the world buzzing with her shocking faceless all-black look: a custom ensemble designed by Demna Gvasalia, creative director of Balenciaga. And if you're wondering how Kim was able to see through the material of her outfit, turns out, she couldn't!
"The whole evening of the Met Ball, Kim couldn't see, and she couldn't breathe," mom Kris Jenner revealed during a November 2021 interview. "So, my boyfriend Corey [Gamble] was walking around—we were all together and he was leading her to where we were supposed to go and helping with her ponytail. It was suddenly—he was somebody pulling her around, and a hairstylist all at the same time."
Three Times the Looks
Lil Nas X gives us what's he got until he can't anymore. The singer changed twice during his entrance for the 2021 Met Gala. One of his looks, which included a Versace suit made of gold armor, has still left stars in our eyes.
The Couple That Slay Together...
RiRi makes the list time and time again for her groundbreaking fashions, but Rihanna Navy went into a frenzy when the star walked the red carpet of the 2021 Met Gala with boyfriend A$AP Rocky. It was fate for the two to arrive as one of the last couples of the evening, since they practically shut down the carpet with their adorable entrance.
London Calling
Princess Diana attended her first and only Met Gala in 1996, a year before her shocking death. Her lingerie-inspired gown was controversial among those who felt she should have worn something more conservative (which she almost did, concerned she might embarrass her teenage son, Prince William), but the navy satin slip dress—designed by John Galliano for Dior— was an instantly iconic look.
Through 2019, the Princess of Wales and Princess Beatrice are the only members of Britain's royal family who have attended the Met Gala, though it's hard to imagine Prince Harry and Meghan Markle not making their own grand entrance one of these days.
Rih-Diculous
We'll keep this short and sweet: Each and every time Rihanna ascends the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a moment in Met Gala history is made. We bow down over and over again.
Elevator Showdown
The 2014 Met Gala went down in infamy thanks to a certain elevator ride starring Beyoncé, Jay-Z and Solange Knowles. Leaked surveillance footage showed the rapper being physically accosted by Bey's little sister in the lift at NYC's Standard Hotel while his wife made no move to intervene, prompting the notoriously private trio to release a rare public statement reassuring anyone who was interested (aka, everybody) that they remained a "united family."
Though we'll probably never know exactly what caused the altercation, Beyoncé's remix of "Flawless" alluded to it when she rapped, "Of course sometimes s--t goes down when there's a billion dollars on an elevator."
Hiddleswift Busts a Move
Swifties can trace Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston's romance back to the 2016 Met Gala, where they had a full-on dance party. Less than a month later, the singer and Calvin Harris would go their separate ways and she'd enjoy a whirlwind summer romance with the British actor.
Queen of His Heart
George Clooney and Amal Clooney made their Met Gala debut as husband and wife in 2015, and Amal would return as a co-chair of the event in 2018.
When Life Gives You Lemons
Just one week after Beyoncé dropped Lemonade, which shed new light on her and Jay-Z's marital turmoil, the performer showed up to the 2016 soiree without her usual plus-one. (Cue mass hysteria from the Beyhive.) She did have the support of Solange that evening, who coincidentally was dressed in lemon yellow.
Kim's North Star
Kim Kardashian won't soon forget her very first Met Gala in 2013, where the expectant reality-TV superstar arrived alongside Kanye West in an eye-popping floral print by Givenchy. Daughter North West was born a month later—and two years later, Kim poked fun at herself by wearing the same floral design for Halloween. "Still fits...," she captioned the moment on social media.
Mad for Plaid
Sarah Jessica Parker and the late Alexander McQueen punked out in matching tartan at the Met Gala in 2006 to celebrate "AngloMania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion."
Three's a Crowd
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but this one of Jeremy Scott sandwiched between his 2016 Met Gala dates Nicki Minaj and Demi Lovato is rather priceless. After the former Disney star accused the rapper of throwing "shade" on Instagram, she further alluded to the awkward event (without naming names) in an interview with Billboard in which she opened up about her less-than-dreamy night two years prior.
"I had a terrible experience," she recalled in 2018. "This one celebrity was a complete bitch and was miserable to be around. It was very cliquey."
Rule Breakers
What happens inside the Met Gala stays in the Met Gala, or at least that was Anna Wintour's goal when she banned selfies in 2015. What is this, the Oscars?!
But two years later, Kylie Jenner's crew gathered in the bathroom to take this sneaky snapshot. The result? A Kodak moment that will stand the test of time (and probably didn't involve Kodak).
A Heavenly Surprise
In 2018, Madonna appeared atop the stairs of the Great Hall with an unforgettable production of "Like a Prayer." The performance, which also featured the pop icon's rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," fit right in with the event's theme that year, "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination." Stairway to heaven, indeed.
Thank You, Next
Dressed in the revenge catsuit to end all revenge catsuits, Bella Hadid expertly navigated what could have been quite the awkward interaction with ex-boyfriend The Weeknd and his date for the 2017 Met Gala, Selena Gomez. An insider told E! News that the supermodel kept her distance from the couple throughout the evening, but Bella and the "Blinding Lights" singer ended up reconciling a year later. Then broke up again.
Jaden's New 'Do
Jaden Smith redefined fearless fashion when he brought his freshly chopped dreadlocks with him to the Met Gala in 2017. The accessory not only made headlines, but also started somewhat of a tradition for the envelope-pushing artist. In 2018, the gold certification plaque for his song "Icon" was his Met Gala date.
Belle of the Ball
Claire Danes arrived at the 2016 Met Gala in a light blue ball gown fit for a tech-savvy Disney princess. It turned out that the Homeland star's Zac Posen confection featured thousands of hand-sewn L.E.D. lights that illuminated the dance floor.
The Real Transformer
Lady Gaga schooled all comers in the art of "Camp: Notes on Fashion," the theme of 2019's Met Gala, when she arrived in a voluminous pink Brandon Maxwell ballgown that was only the beginning. Several nesting-doll looks later, she was down to her luxe skivvies and the crowd was on its knees.
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