"From Cowboy Carter back to Knowles?": Internet reacts as Beyoncé name change theory duels Jay-Z divorce claims 

Beyoncé’s supposed name change on the Forbes magazine list has sparked debate online. This comes after her husband and rapper Jay Z faced r*pe allegations earlier this month. Netizens have since taken to social media to respond to the same.

For those uninitiated, the Texas Hold ‘Em was born Beyoncé Giselle Knowles, and following her marriage to Shawn Carter, she began referring to herself as Beyoncé Knowles-Carter in multiple projects.

X user @goldassring took to the social networking site on December 12 and noted that the Renaissance creator seemingly had her name changed on the Forbes magazine’s “Most Powerful Women list,” where she was ranked in 35th place.

Knowles allegedly had her name changed to “Beyoncé Knowles” and had the “Carter” surname omitted. The netizen also tweeted, “The soft launch name change.”

The social media post was quick to go viral and amassed over 12 million views. Many opined that the couple were going to get divorced however, the same has not been confirmed by official sources.

Many speculated that the same occurred after a 13-year-old alleged that she was assaulted by Shawn and Sean “Diddy” Combs at a 2000 MTV Video Music Award afterparty.

Netizens have since reacted to the same, with one X user commenting:

Several others expressed shock while certain platform users stated that the Single Ladies crooner never referred to herself as a Carter. Comments online read:

“She’s literally the only one who ever called herself “Mrs. Carter,”” an X user said.

“Was anyone even a little surprised by this,” a platform user said.

“Everyone say heeyy ms knowles,” a netizen said.

Beyoncé Knowles and Shawn Carter are parents to three children, Blue Ivy, Rumi, and Sir, who are 12 years old and seven-year-old twins, respectively. Meanwhile, other comments read:

“Divorce is on the way,” an X user said.

“Imagine casually changing your name and still being the most powerful woman in the room,” a platform user said.

“My jaw DROPPED,” another netizen said.

The Knowles-Carter family put up a united front at the Mufasa: The Lion King premiere on Monday, December 9, just a day after Shawn Carter was named in the civil lawsuit. Meanwhile, other comments read:

“What’s coming next, I’m intrigued,” an X user said.

“I never called her Carter tbh,” a platform user said.

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Jay Z’s accuser comes forward to point out inconsistencies in her allegations amid Beyoncé name change reports

The Jane Doe who alleged to have been r*ped by Carter when she was 13 years old initially claimed that her father picked her up from the afterparty after the alleged assault and that she spoke with musicians Benji Madden and his brother.

However, her representatives have since confirmed with NBC News that Madden was on tour in the Midwest at the time of the MTV afterparty, making it impossible for her to have met them. Furthermore, her father claimed to not remember much about picking her up and driving her back home.

After the r*pe allegations came forward, Carter released a public statement denying the same. His personal lawyer, Alex Spiro, also asked the court to dismiss the civil lawsuit against him.

Meanwhile, Sean Combs remains behind bars as he faces s*x trafficking and racketeering charges. He is set to go to trial on May 5, 2025.