Blue Ivy Carter is a star in the making, and her mom Beyoncé is not allowing anything, not even a scandalous lawsuit, to outshine her firstborn’s big Hollywood debut.
The 12-year-old stunned at the red carpet premiere of the movie “Mufasa” in Los Angeles on Dec. 9. She voices lion cub Kiara, the daughter of Simba and Nala, respectively voiced by Donald Glover and the teen’s famous mother.
The star-studded night, however, was preceded by Blue’s dad, rapper Jay-Z firing off a scathing response denying any truth to a lawsuit accusing him of raping a 13-year-old girl with embattled hip-hop figure Sean “Diddy” Combs in 2000. He claims the filing is the result of a failed extortion attempt and that not all “celebrities” are the same.
Diddy has been imprisoned since September when he was indicted in a federal sex trafficking and racketeering case. Countless conspiracies have pinned his Brooklyn contemporary as one of the many A-listers who knew and participated in the alleged illegal misconduct.
Jay-Z’s response to the legal document is the first and only time he has addressed the circulating rumors.
Still, hours after issuing a statement, as the flurry of flashes from cameras set their focus on the film’s cast and supporters, Blue appeared with her family — Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and grandmother Tina Knowles — by her side. To many online speculators, displaying a united front in the midst of a PR nightmare was a distraction.
People particularly criticized the “99 Problems” rapper for posing for photos with his leading ladies. “An unselfish parent would’ve stayed home,” an X user wrote. “Using your daughter’s event for reputation management when you know your presence will shift media focus away from her is foul,” they added.
When the “Renaissance” singer shared images from the appearance, she seemed intentional in refocusing attention on Blue by excluding photos that featured herself or Jay-Z.
“My gorgeous baby girl. This is your night. You worked hard and you did such a beautiful job as the voice of Kiara. Your family could not be prouder. Keep shining,” Beyoncé wrote in her caption.
In the comment section, fans left statements like, “Such a beautiful moment” and “Her voice was flawless as Kiara. SHE WAS BORN FOR THIS!” But the discourse was derailed by the controversy and critiques of Blue’s strapless, gold Christian Siriano gown.
One person wrote, “This is a 12 yr old looking like an adult. Wow. The carters are per verts.” Someone else chimed in with, “Your man did WHAT to a little girl that’s Blue Ivy’s age??????”
While a third individual asked, “Don’t you get tired of acting like everything is fine?” Several others were convinced, “Someone is deleting the real comments.”
Beyoncé has not limited or turned off her comments. Despite her intentional efforts to protect her children, which also includes twins Rumi and Sir, from the spotlight, Blue has been a headline maker most of her life.
Her pregnancy was revealed in front of thousands at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards and fans have watched her over the years join her mother in music videos.
Last summer, Blue became an internet sensation when she performed alongside Beyoncé during a number of concerts for the Renaissance World Tour.
For some, that fact, coupled with the red carpet gown and the recent lawsuit, that combination is proof enough that “both parents cannot make appropriate choices when it comes to minors.”
