"Why did Ashley need to be forgiven" — Controversy surrounding Beyoncé's dance captain Ashley Everett explored as the internet reacts to her return

During Beyoncé’s performance at the halftime show of the Christmas game between the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens, her longtime dance captain Ashley Everett made a surprise return.

It marked Everett’s comeback after she skipped Queen Bey’s Renaissance World Tour last year to focus on her solo career. At the time, she told People Magazine exclusively that after being in the shadow of the Cowboy Carter singer for 17 years, she wanted to carve a path for herself.

Back then, fans speculated that Ashley and Beyoncé parted ways due to some irresolvable differences. Others claimed she was reportedly fired after a fresh batch of dancers arrived. However, she dismissed the claims during the aforementioned interview.

Now, in the wake of her surprise return during Queen Bey’s December 25 NFL halftime show at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, the internet is having varied reactions.

For instance, X user @tylepresents commented on the Beyoncé Legion fan page on the platform.

“Why did Ashley need to be forgiven?” the user asked.

Many people joined the conversation and shared similar reactions on the social networking site.

“Beyonce is so forgiving I wanna be like that so d*mn bad omg,” a person wrote.

“One day, y’all will realize the lady doesn’t hold the same opinions on people that y’all do because she does actually value people,” one person wrote.

“I feel home again,” wrote another.

Others continued to weigh in.

“Orrr people just spreading false rumors about their relationship?? Ashley also went to renaissance tour as an audience, and Bey shouted her name from the stage,” a netizen wrote.

“Ashley! A Christmas blessing. We love us some Ashley,” another netizen wrote.

“ASHLEY’S BACK??? Oh WE ARE SO BACK (and yea, to me this is a confirmation Bey will go on tour),” an individual wrote.

“Ashley Everett didn't just return to Beyonce's side; she brought the whole cowboy ranch with her,” another individual wrote.

On Wednesday night, Ashley Everett took to her Instagram Stories and posted a hazy picture of herself from the NFL halftime stage, with the words “Surprise!!!!” A follow-up story featured her with the group of backup dancers and other performers including Shaboozey, Post Malone, Beyoncé herself, and her 12-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy Carter.

“Big mood,” Ashley’s Story was captioned, alongside a GIF showing, “Merry Christmas.”

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Exploring Ashley Everett’s past exit from Beyoncé’s dancing troupe

During an exclusive interview with People Magazine published on June 23, 2023, Ashley Everett explained why she left Beyoncé’s dancing troupe and was missing from her May-October 2023 Renaissance World Tour.

"Obviously working with Beyoncé has been incredible and I've learned so much from her. All of my adulthood has been spent working with her. I feel like the pandemic was super transformative for me. It was the first time I was able to sit down and stay home and pour into me, fill up my cup,” she shared.

The 35-year-old continued:

“I'm not getting any younger and now I've been able to dive into other ventures and opportunities that I've always wanted to explore. It's a new journey — the renaissance of Ashley Everett essentially.”

Ashley also refuted the online rumors about her alleged fallout with Beyoncé, adding, that her former employer made it “clear and known” that she supported her in anything she did.

Everett further praised Queen Bey as a “sponge” and called her “incredible,” adding, she was a “super work harder” known for her “authenticity.”

"In a dance setting, she loves to get behind the person who she just feels has the authenticity, the feeling. She'll get right behind them trying to find the groove. She is a super hard worker… She was like my college. I'm so grateful," the Chico native noted back then.

Ashley Everett shared in the same interview how she had been “dancing” her entire life and began the venture by paying attention and loving her ballet class as a young girl. Then, when she was 17, she landed a gig as Beyoncé’s backup dancer and eventually her dance captain.

"I was dancing at Alvin Ailey and I thought my dance journey was going to take me the modern, contemporary route. I randomly went to an audition and got asked to be a part of some [Beyoncé] music videos. That led to tour and then it just kept going. It was a dream come true," she explained.

Ashley Everett appeared in many of Beyoncé's music videos, including Get Me Bodied, Greenlight, and Heaven, from the 2006 album B’Day. She became dance captain in 2009, choreographed Single Ladies, and performed on every Beyoncé tour, including Coachella, Super Bowl 2013, and the Formation World Tour.

In a People Magazine interview, Ashley shared fond memories of spending time with Beyoncé, particularly before she married Jay-Z and had kids. Beyoncé even encouraged her to write a bucket list so they could try everything on it.

Notably, after parting with the Cecred founder last year, Ashley went on to appear in a few TV shows including The Masked Singer and Good Trouble. Everett was also featured in commercials for brands like Pepsi (with rapper Bad Bunny), Nissan, and Home Goods. She relaunched her CBD company Cachet Brands after founding it in 2020 and worked on her workout venture, FitChoreo by Ashley Everett.