Beyoncé Had To Choose Between Jay-Z And Another Man

It’s no secret that Beyoncé and Jay-Z are a power couple in the industry.

However, in an alternate universe, the “Dangerously In Love” singer was close to marrying another man who was shining bright in Hollywood.

In her new memoir, “Matriarch,” Tina reflected on the time Beyoncé sought her advice when she realized the time had come for her to choose between Jay-Z and someone else.

According to Us Weekly, Tina wrote about the beginning of Beyoncé’s relationship with Jay-Z in her book, which hit shelves on April 22.

According to her, the pair had “developed a friendship” in the early 2000s. They spoke mainly over the phone and gave each other advice about their music.

Tina went on to say that when Jay-Z visited their hometown of Houston, Texas, for a concert, she invited him to their house to have dinner.

Following that, Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s friendship deepened. “She would tell me, ‘He’s just so nice,'” Tina wrote.

However, Beyoncé was also talking to another “guy in the industry,” who, according to Tina, was interested in taking things to the next level with her.

Tina explained that while the “Cowboy Carter” singer was filming the 2002 blockbuster film “Austin Powers in Goldmember,” she asked for advice since both men were coming to visit her in California.

The OG momager asked her daughter who she liked most, but she knew it was Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter.

“It was Jay,” she wrote. “Isn’t it humbling how love can begin with such a simple feeling? You like talking to someone over the phone. You’re 21 years old and you can’t know someday you will take that love to the stars, but it begins with such a small instinct.”

Later, in the chapter, Tina revealed she’s gotten extremely close with Jay-Z’s mother and grandmother, and that began during the couple’s early days.

“That was the start of the Carter and Knowles families joining as one family, and we are all very close to this day,” she wrote. “Our gatherings would become parties, rich with laughter and storytelling, drinking and dancing. In the Bible, it says to eat, drink, and be merry, and that’s what our evenings are like with the Carters.”

Tina also opened up about Beyoncé’s top-secret wedding, which occurred on April 4, 2008.

To this day, most of the event’s intimate details are still unknown, and according to Bey’s mom, that was intentional.

“They had the wedding at their house on April 4 because it was the only place that we knew it wouldn’t get out,” she shared. “We had a lady make white curtains to cover the walls and windows, right up to the 25-foot ceilings.

She continued, “The details are my daughter and son-in-law’s, but what I will say is that I joined Jay’s grandmother and mother in cooking all the food. We did soul food, of course, the best food for a night of dancing and family love.”

The Blast previously reported on the wedding ceremony, which was held at Jay’s 13,500-square-foot penthouse in Manhattan. In addition to the white curtains, it also had 70,000 dendrobium orchids from Thailand.

In April 2025, Tina posted a heartfelt tribute to the couple on their 17th anniversary.

She called the pair her “favorite people in the whole wide world,” before reminding them to focus on the things that matter.

“True love rises above all [of] the bullsh-t,” she added. “Enjoy your day.”

As Tina continued in the book, she praised Jay-Z for being a great protector of her daughter and their three children, Blue, Rumi, and Sir Carter.

She also highlighted Tim Weatherspoon, Kelly Rowland’s husband, especially since she considers the latter to be a “bonus daughter.”

“Jay is an example for his children, starting with very humble beginnings and overcoming every obstacle in the world to be the successful businessman he is,” she wrote. “Tim is humble and quiet but incredibly perceptive, managing Kelly’s career for years before becoming an executive at Nickelodeon. Even with all the things they are involved in, their best performance is as fathers.”