While Rachel Roy and Rita Ora have denied being the “Becky with the good hair” mentioned in Beyoncé’s “Sorry,” a song on the album “Lemonade,” sources said “Becky” is a composite of women Jay Z was rumored to have had liaisons with earlier in their relationship — but he’s since changed his ways.
An insider told us: “I don’t think Beyoncé is calling out one girl. It is many girls. The rumors have been around for years.”
Things changed when Blue Ivy arrived in 2012.
Explained our source: “Beyoncé had the baby and was like, ‘What am I doing? This is what my dad did to my mom.’ She really looked at herself. Jay is now a great husband, and this is in the past. They went through a rocky patch but things are good again. The video is about finally coming to terms with her strength and their love.”
Meanwhile, another source close to the situation said the Becky speculation was a deliberate play by the famous couple.
The source said, just like the Bonnie and Clyde characters they created in 2002, “They develop these storylines to sell albums. ‘Lemonade’ is a movie crafted to drive sales. Jay and Beyoncé are entertainers at the top of their game. Do you think Jay would release her album on [his own] Tidal if it really was all about him? He is 100 percent behind this.”
Another insider added, “They’re marketing masters. They’re pros at this. The more attention, the more they sell, the better. All that speculation is to get press when they need it. ‘Lemonade’ is much deeper than infidelity, but that’s the focus. As long as people are talking, they don’t care.”
Both Roy and Ora initially fueled the Becky speculation with mysterious online posts, but have since denied affairs with Jay Z.
Ora tweeted, “These rumors are false. I have nothing but the utmost respect for Beyoncé. Let’s continue enjoying ‘Lemonade.’ ” Roy said in a statement, “There is no validity to the idea that the song references me personally.”
Bey and Jay Z reps have not commented.
Meanwhile, there’s big buzz that they’ll put on a united front in Miami Wednesday night for her Formation World Tour, where he will join her onstage.