With a $500 million fortune to her name, Beyoncé is one of the most successful artists of all time. Having dominated the entertainment industry for more than 20 years, first as part of the group Destiny’s Child and then as a solo artist, the Houston-born singer isn’t showing any signs of slowing down with a new album planned for release in 2022.
Together with husband Jay-Z, Beyoncé has been part of the power couple that is The Carters for most of her career. But there was a time before their 2008 wedding when the two weren’t yet a couple.
In 2002, Beyoncé released the smash hit ‘Baby Boy’. Jamaican artist Sean Paul famously featured on the track and the two did a number of performances together in 2003. Their joint performances soon led to rumors that the two were dating in real life. But were they really?
Did Beyoncé And Sean Paul Date?
Fans have speculated about the early 2000s relationship between Beyoncé and Sean Paul for years. But in 2022, Sean revealed the truth to the world: he and Beyoncé never dated and were never romantically involved.
In an interview with The Daily Beast, he explained that rumors started gaining traction after the two stars started experiencing stage issues during their joint performances.
“We had just three performances [together], and one was at Reggae Sumfest,” he told The Daily Beast (via Cheat Sheet). “At the time, we were both on the Rock the Mic Tour. This was 2003. She wasn’t on it every day, but she would come on certain dates and do the song ‘Crazy in Love’ with Jay-Z.
“One day, we left to do the video and then played Sumfest. That was the first time. The second time was in LA, and a strange thing happened—and I think that’s what started the rumors.”
Beyoncé Was Upset About The Rumors
Though the rumors about the two stars dating weren’t true, they were widely whispered, to the point where they upset Beyoncé herself. Understandably, Beyoncé was worried about the effect the rumors were having on her career as a solo artist, which was taking off at the time.
Things came to a head when the two were in Scotland together for a performance, where she confronted Sean about the rumors with suspicions that he had started them himself.
“That’s when we had the talk, because the rumors got really crazy,” he recounted in his interview with The Daily Beast.
“I landed in Scotland and it was this MTV event, and there were paparazzi everywhere. We ended up doing the rehearsal and everything was good, and the performance was going to be where I come up from under the stage, and then we both walk to a big center thing in the middle of the stadium which was surrounded by fire.”
Before long, Beyoncé approached Sean, reportedly annoyed, and said, “I need to speak to you.”
“So, we go back and talk and she’s like ‘What’s all these rumors about?’ and I’m like ‘Yo, I’m not saying s---,’ and she’s like ‘These rumors f--- with my career. I just want you to know that.’
"I was like ‘They don’t f--- with mine. So, listen: I met Jay before you, and we was [sic] friends, so me and him should talk. If he feels a way about that, then we should talk, because it’s not coming from me.'”
What Happened To Sean Paul?
The rumors about Sean Paul and Beyoncé persisted. Eventually, Sean was cut from the VMA performance of ‘Baby Boy’, instead watching it from the audience. While his time as Beyoncé’s collaborator may have been over, he continued to make music, with one Grammy win and eight studio albums to his name today.
Like many artists—but not Beyoncé and Jay-Z—Sean Paul’s career suffered, and he lost money during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’ve lost a lot of money because I travel more than six months out of the year,” he told Page Six. “Like millions, all of that is from touring, but then I’ve also been spending money on charities.”
However, the silver lining was that he was able to spend time at home with his family.
“Sometimes you have to take a break… With everything there is a silver lining, so I have enjoyed the family time, and I have enjoyed the extra studio time that I’ve been given.”
Sean is married to fellow Jamaican Jodi Stewart-Henriques. They were married in 2012 after being in a long-term relationship for a decade. According to Married Biography, the two started dating after meeting at a party in 2002 and did not split at all during their 10-year courtship.
They welcomed their first child, Levi Blaze, in 2017. In 2019, the couple welcomed their second child Remi.
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