At the MTV Video Music Awards on August 28, 2011, Beyonce shocked the world with a simple rub of her growing pregnant belly.
Beyonce and Jay-Z, known to be private people, became one of the most talked about couples of 2011.
It seemed like every day following the big announcement there was a story surrounding Bey’s pregnancy, whether it was about a surrogate mom, Beyonce’s questionable belly, or even her actual due date.
Wild speculation on top of ridiculous rumor abounded across the ‘net, in regular conversation and on television. Everywhere you looked people had an opinion about Bey and Jay’s baby.
Fans were anxious and haters were on the prowl, ready for the birth of the most important hip-pop offspring of our time.
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On January 7, 2012, Beyonce gave birth to a baby girl, Blue Ivy Carter. In the midst of celebrity and fan congratulatory tweets, evilness sparked its fire. Stories began to form about misspelled names, Illuminati threats and a hospital “takeover.”
Although Beyonce and Jay-Z released a statement saying the birth of their daughter was “emotional and extremely peaceful,” it seemed the world would have it be the opposite.
After the birth of B.I.C, there were a few stories that stood out that I personally deemed as disrespectful.
The story of the families, who claimed they were prevented from gaining access to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit due to high security, caught me by surprise the minute I heard it.
I may be no architect, but I sure do watch enough episodes of Grey’s Anatomy to know that a delivery room is not near an intensive care unit. I was in awe of how many people were riding the coattails of an innocent child’s birth. When Lenox Hospital released an official statement, dispelling these rumors, I was relieved.
Following this story, the buzz of Bey’s delivery room costing $1.3 million dollars and her elaborate exit of the hospital shocked me even more. I was again relieved when these rumors were dismissed.
As I watched the disgusting tweets and comments about Blue Ivy Carter, I could only imagine what Jay and Bey were thinking.
So as I always do when my best friend and I sing karaoke, I put myself in Beyonce’s shoes.
Like any other new parents, I am pretty sure Beyonce and Jay-Z took serious measures to protect their first-born child. I envisioned them discussing a normal birth plan as most parents do. Being the private and cautious people that they are, I could not see Jay-Z and Beyonce having anything but a normal and safe birth for Blue.
So what if Beyonce exited the back of the hospital to escape the paparazzi and so what if she paid for an executive suite – not a $1.3 million suite – to birth her daughter? She has every right to do so.
At times I believe we hold celebrities on such a high pedestal that we forget they are human and have feelings. The statements made across the world about the birth of the newest addition to hip-pop were downright cruel.
Jay-Z and Beyonce are thoughtful and talented people who value their personal privacy. They have every right to start a family as a continuation of their love for each other.
The bad press and nasty rumors, particularly aimed towards an innocent baby, are unacceptable.
Think before you speak!
-Sapphira M.
