Singer Rita Ora has said she wants to find out who initiated rumours identifying her as 'Becky with the good hair' in Beyoncé's 2016 track Sorry.
Addressing the online speculation surrounding Jay-Z's rumoured infidelity, the British star doubled down on her denials and questioned why female artists are constantly pitted against one another in public feuds.
Ora stated that neither she nor Beyoncé had anything to gain from the accusations that circulated following the release of Beyoncé's hit album Lemonade.
"I don’t know who initiated that whole Becky drama, but I’d love to find out who it was," Ora said. "It’s always woman pitted against woman and you can be sure neither of us had anything to gain."
Lemon bra and initial rumours
The rumours reached fever pitch in 2016 after Ora posted an image on Snapchat wearing lemon-printed lingerie alongside a necklace featuring a pendant shaped like the letter 'J' shortly after Beyoncé dropped her album.
Fans of Beyoncé connected the lemon print to the album title Lemonade and interpreted the necklace as an initial for rapper Jay-Z, who has been married to Beyoncé since 2008.
Ora further fueled fan theories when she wore a badge reading "Not Becky" at a Met Ball after-party following the annual fashion fundraiser at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
She later revealed that fellow pop singer Katy Perry was responsible for the accessory, noting that Perry had given her a "hilarious badge that said 'Not Becky.'"
Later that same year, Ora posted a joint selfie alongside Beyoncé on social media to show there was no bad blood between them, captioning the photograph "Family."
Departure from Jay-Z record label
The controversy coincided with major changes in Ora's music career when she parted ways with Jay-Z's record label, Roc Nation, to sign a new recording contract with Atlantic Records.
That same year, Beyoncé released her critically acclaimed sixth studio album Lemonade, which garnered two Grammy victories and made multiple allusions to her husband's rumoured infidelity.
The track Sorry generated widespread debate over the identity of the mistress, featuring the lyrics: "You only want me when I'm not there/You better call Becky with the good hair."
Speaking to The Times about leaving the rapper's label and facing media scrutiny, Ora explained how social media intensified public reaction a decade ago.
"It’s easy to forget, but ten years ago social media was still quite a new thing," Ora told The Times. "You could be minding your own business then wake up one morning and find out the whole world was on your case."
Reflecting on her business relationship with Jay-Z, she added: "I will never be negative about Jay-Z because he is a legendary artist, but the lesson I learnt was, when you feel your life being pulled in a direction you don’t want it to go, be ready to jump."
Louis Theroux interview and public scrutiny
In 2022, Ora directly addressed the lemon-printed lingerie and necklace theories during a broadcast interview with journalist Louis Theroux.
Clarifying the necklace detail, Ora told Theroux: "Oh my God, it literally was a coincidence. I didn't even think about it, I swear. And it wasn't a J, it was an R. They flipped it round and then it looked like a J."
She also addressed the controversial photograph featuring a semi-sheer bra with specially-placed lemons, which had drawn ire from Beyoncé's fan base.
Ora explained that the design was part of her official collaboration with Italian underwear brand Tezenis: "No, it had nothing [to do with it]. No, that was my own design with an underwear company called Tezenis that I was working with."
She urged the public to take online rumours with a "pinch of salt," adding: "This is what I mean, man - a pinch of salt - you've got to take things with a pinch of salt. And that's what's insane."
The singer expressed frustration at how media coverage frequently focuses on her romantic life rather than her musical achievements and professional credentials.
"It's interesting 'cause I feel like everyone is very interested in my personal life, like everything else is not worthy enough," Ora told Theroux. "Which, sometimes, is frustrating because I have also got a lot of credentials to sustain my respect."
Ora had previously hit back at the accusations when the controversy first erupted in 2016, stating: "I find it incredibly rude and disrespectful to women in general (when) we get accused of something that's basically against the important part - the music."
