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Rita Ora denies Jay-Z affair and says lemon-laden bikini was a coincidence

Rita Ora denies she had an affair with Beyonce’s husband Jay Z after years of rumours  (ES Composite)
Rita Ora denies she had an affair with Beyonce’s husband Jay Z after years of rumours (ES Composite)

Rita Ora has addressed the now infamous rumours that she was the other woman in Beyonce and Jay Z’s marriage.

The singer addressed the longstanding rumours, which emerged in 2016 when Beyonce broke the internet with her hot album, Lemonade.

The record featured several tracks that implied her rapper husband had cheated on her with a mystery woman who Beyonce referred to as "Becky with the good hair".

Many pointed the finger at Ora who had been signed at the time to Jay Z’s record label Roc Nation and who had been rumoured to have had an affair with him for years.

Louis Theroux and Ora sit down for a candid chat on BBC (BBC/Mindhouse)
Louis Theroux and Ora sit down for a candid chat on BBC (BBC/Mindhouse)

Ora seemingly egged on the rumours following the release of lemonade with a series of antics, including posting a snap of herself on social media in a bikini with a print of lemons on it.

She also accessorised the swimwear with a necklace that appeared to have the letter "J" on it.

During a new chat with Louis Theroux, she insists that she was never romantically involved with former mentor Jay Z at any point during their working relationship.

(L-R) Jay-Z, Ora and guest attend the Roc Nation pre-Grammy brunch Beverly Hills, California 2014 (Getty Images)
(L-R) Jay-Z, Ora and guest attend the Roc Nation pre-Grammy brunch Beverly Hills, California 2014 (Getty Images)

Quizzing her about the accusations, Theroux said: "One of the things that comes up a lot when Beyoncé had her album, was a mysterious woman called Becky With The Good Hair, who allegedly Jay Z had cheated on.

"And then at some point in 2016, with Lemonade in the air, you posted a picture of yourself with lemons on your bra and a ‘J’ around your neck."

Ora, 32, rolled her eyes and claimed: "Oh my God, it literally was a coincidence and I didn’t even think about it.

Beyonce and Jay Z have worked through his alleged infidelity (Beyonce/Instagram)
Beyonce and Jay Z have worked through his alleged infidelity (Beyonce/Instagram)

"I swear. And it wasn’t a ‘J’ it was an ‘r’. They flipped it round and it looked like a ‘J’."

Theroux appeared unconvinced as Ora explained: "It was my own design with an underwear company called Tezenis that I was working with.

"This is what I mean, man. Pinch of salt. You’ve gotta take things with a pinch of salt."

"And that’s what’s insane," she added.

Ora and new husband Taika Waititi speak to the audience at the European MTV Awards 2022 in Dusseldorf, German (AP)
Ora and new husband Taika Waititi speak to the audience at the European MTV Awards 2022 in Dusseldorf, German (AP)

"I just had to sit through that until a good friend of mine, Katy Perry, gave me a hilarious badge that said ‘Not Becky’."

The singer, who wed actor and filmmaker Taika Waititi over the summer, first tried to kill the rumours in a 2016 interview with Vanity Fair magazine.

She told the publication: "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.

"Beyoncé was one of my biggest idols growing up."