Zahi Hawass, archaeologist who claimed he banned Beyonce from the Egyptian pyramids because she was “stupid and rude,” made up the story, the megastar’s publicist says.
During a recent interview, Hawass said Beyonce took a tour of ancient pyramids in 2009 and failed to apologize for arriving late.
“Most people I take on tours are very nice and we become friends,” he said. “But this lady. . . She said she would come at 3 p.m. but she came late. I said, ‘You have to say sorry I’m late.’ But she didn’t open her mouth.”
Despite that claim, he led the tour anyway, but claimed that Beyonce’s photographers were even more rude than the R&B star herself.
“I brought a photographer and she also had a photographer and a guard,” he said. “When my photographer started to shoot, (her photographer) said ‘No, Stop! I am the one who says yes or no, not you.’ I said, ‘In that case since you almost hit my photographer and you are not polite, out! I am not giving you the privilege of having you on my tour.’ I said Beyonce was stupid and I left.”
Beyonce’s reps say that Hawass is lying.
“This never happened,” one rep said. “The last time she was in Egypt was on tour in 2009. Nothing like this happened. Lies and more lies.”
Before Beyonce’s reps even responded to the allegations, people questioned whether or not they could trust the controversial archaeologist.
Hawass has been criticized in the past for a love of fame and general disrespect for other important figures.
“People attack me because I am famous,” he said during the same interview. “When I took President Obama to Giza, the camel driver recognized me and he asked, ‘But who is the friend of Hawass?’ “
He even boasted about having a larger crowd come hear him speak than President Bill Clinton.
“When I gave a lecture at your Dome of the Millennium, 1,700 came to hear me,” he added. “Bill Clinton got 700.”
Hawassi is under investigation from the US Justice Department for allegedly accepting a $200,000-a-year pay off from National Geographic that would allow the magazine to access the Pyramids and other ancient sites when they needed.
