Rita Ora Says Beyoncé Was Her “Fairy Godmother” During “Becky With The Good Hair” Rumors

Rita Ora wants the world to know she was never “Becky with the good hair.” And more importantly, Beyoncé had her back the whole time. In a recent chat on the Begin Again with Davina McCall podcast, the British pop star and actress opened up about being accidentally thrown into one of music’s biggest controversies: the mysterious “Becky” lyric from Beyoncé’s 2016 Lemonade album.

If you don’t remember, Beyoncé dropped a bombshell with her track Sorry, hinting at infidelity and referencing “Becky with the good hair,” sparking months of speculation about who that woman might be. The internet ran wild. Somehow, Rita’s name got dragged into the mix.

But according to Rita, 34, the whole thing was a “mad moment” she never saw coming. “Because it wasn’t real,” she said. “I wish I had good hair!” She laughed, but admitted, “That was the first time I experienced what it means to be in a messy situation.”

And while fans speculated and headlines exploded, what was happening behind the scenes told a different story, as she revealed that Beyoncé was her “fairy godmother” and “protector” throughout that time.

“She was my protector. That’s what’s insane because there was nothing but love. And, you know, again, being signed to JAY-Z, her husband, she being my biggest inspiration, she came to my first show in New York at The Box,” she shared.

Rita had been signed to JAY-Z’s label and was filming Fifty Shades of Grey at the time when everything hit the fan. “I was so confused. I was like, ‘Why is this happening to me? What have I done?’”

Rather than defend herself with words, Rita let a selfie do the talking through a picture with Beyoncé at the Met Gala in 2016. “And then it was gone. Because there was never anything there in the first place,” she shared.

Still, the experience left a mark. Rita revealed she was genuinely hurt not because of the rumors, but because they involved someone she deeply admired. “I was actually genuinely upset because that’s my big sister protector,” Rita said. “She took it upon herself to really look after me. And I still see her to this day and she’s always been so, so nice and proud, checking in on my family and friends that I’ve had since childhood and remembering their names.”

And just in case there’s still any confusion, Rita cleared it up again. The infamous necklace that caused speculation? Not a “J” for JAY-Z, but an “R” for Rita. “They flipped it and made it look like a J,” she explained.