Who did Beyonce date before Jay Z? A look at her past flames, rumoured and confirmed
Who did Beyoncé date before Jay-Z? Long before becoming part of a music industry power couple, Beyoncé was in a committed teenage relationship with Lyndall Locke. She was rumoured to have dated other celebrities like Damon Dash, Mos Def, and Justin Timberlake.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Beyoncé's only confirmed relationship before Jay-Z was with her childhood sweetheart, Lyndall Locke.
- Locke and Beyoncé dated for nine years during their teenage years before breaking up as Beyoncé's career took off.
- The singer has been rumoured to have dated various stars, including Justin Timberlake, Marques Houston, Damon Dash, and Mos Def.
- The age difference between Jay-Z and Beyoncé is 12 years, which drew attention when they first started dating.
Profile summary
Full name | Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter |
Gender | Female |
Date of birth | 4 September 1981 |
Age | 44 years old (as of March 2026) |
Zodiac sign | Virgo |
Place of birth | Houston, Texas, United States |
Current residence | Los Angeles, California, United States |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | African-American |
Religion | Christianity |
Sexuality | Straight |
Height in feet | 5'7" |
Height in centimetres | 170 |
Hair colour | Dark brown |
Eye colour | Brown |
Relationship status | Married |
Husband | Jay-Z |
Children | 3 |
Profession | Singer, songwriter, actress, entrepreneur |
Net worth | $1 billion |
X (Twitter) | |
YouTube |
Who did Beyoncé date before Jay-Z?
Despite global fame and decades in the spotlight, Beyoncé has only publicly acknowledged one serious relationship before her marriage to the American rapper and business mogul. Here is a closer look at Beyoncé's known and rumoured relationships before Jay-Z.
Lyndall Locke (1993–2000)
Source: Instagram
Beyoncé's first known relationship was with her childhood sweetheart, Lyndall Locke. The pair reportedly met in Houston through a youth church group and mutual friends, including future Destiny's Child member Kelly Rowland. Beyoncé was around 12, and Locke was around 14.
The couple dated on and off throughout their teenage years and were together for nearly a decade. Locke later recalled how captivated he was when they first met, according to The Sun:
From the first time I saw Beyoncé, I couldn't take my eyes off of her. She looked like an angel, the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen.
In an interview with the Daily Mail published on 24 October 2015, Locke spoke about their time together, describing Beyoncé as incredibly focused even as a teenager. However, the pressure of her growing career and Locke's admitted infidelity led to their eventual split. He revealed:
Beyoncé was the love of my life... but the more successful she got, the more I felt I was losing her. I cheated on her, and it's something I'll always regret.
During their relationship, Beyoncé was still building her music career and performing with Destiny's Child. According to Locke, she was already determined to become a star. He told the Daily Mail:
She was focused and knew what she wanted… There was a Beyoncé train on the fast track to fame.
Speaking to The Telegraph in 2008, Beyoncé revealed:
People would be surprised as to the lack of experiences I've had. When I was 12, 13, I had my first boyfriend, and he was my boyfriend till I was 17. At that age, that was a long time.
The couple eventually split as her career began to accelerate. Locke later admitted that cheating played a role in their breakup. Despite their breakup, Locke has respectfully spoken about Beyoncé, once saying:
Jay Z is a lucky dude… he's got a great one.
After his relationship with Beyoncé ended, Lyndall Locke went on to build a different life outside the entertainment industry. He became a chef and runs a catering business in the United States. Lyndall largely stays out of the public spotlight.
Justin Timberlake (1998–1999)
Source: Getty Images
In the late '90s, Destiny's Child and NSYNC were the reigning monarchs of pop, often crossing paths at award shows. Rumours swirled that Beyoncé and American actor and singer Justin Timberlake shared a brief connection.
Justin Timberlake shared a story about how he had to talk Beyoncé into joining him for the famous 2008 Single Ladies parody on Saturday Night Live. He said:
She was very polite about it, but she was very hesitant, and when I say hesitant, I mean like, she was not having it.
Mos Def (2001)
Source: Getty Images
Just before her relationship with Jay-Z turned serious, Beyoncé was linked to American actor and rapper Mos Def. The two starred together in MTV's Carmen: A Hip Hopera in 2001. Their on-screen chemistry sparked rumours of a real-life spark, though neither star ever confirmed the reports.
Damon Dash (2003)
Source: Getty Images
American enterpreneur and record producer Damon Dash was rumoured to have a brief connection back in 2003. It was alleged that Dash tried to date Beyoncé while Jay-Z was starting to see her.
According to HOT 97, Dash recently appeared on The Art of Dialogue to clear things up, saying he had always respected their relationship and never tried anything. He said:
Nah. I would never try to talk to another man's wife.
Several other unconfirmed flings surfaced during Beyoncé's early career, adding intrigue to her pre-Jay-Z dating narrative. Marques Houston was linked to a brief teen romance around 2001, while speculation grew around Sean Paul due to their steamy 2003 collaboration on Baby Boy.
Other whispers involved Pharrell and Sisqo. However, Beyoncé has denied most of these, consistently emphasising her limited dating history before settling with Jay-Z.
Jay-Z (2000–present)
Source: Getty Images
Beyoncé later met rapper and entrepreneur Jay-Z around 2000 when she was beginning her solo career. Their relationship began as friends after he attended a Destiny's Child performance in Houston.
The singer was around 18 when they first met and slightly older when they began dating. According to NBC Washington, Beyoncé told Seventeen magazine.
I was 18 when we first met, 19 when we first started dating.
The American entrepreneur was about 30 years old then, but despite their 12-year age gap, they started dating in 2001. However, they kept it private. The pair collaborated musically on tracks like Jay-Z's 03 Bonnie & Clyde in 2002 and Beyoncé's Crazy in Love in 2003, which fueled public speculation.
The couple married in secret on 4 April 2008, in New York City, later sharing footage in Beyoncé's 2016 All Night video. Today, they share three children and are widely regarded as one of the most influential couples in entertainment.
FAQs
- Who is Beyoncé? She is an American singer-songwriter and actress, best known as "Queen B".
- Is Beyoncé married? The singer is married to American rapper and business mogul Jay-Z.
- Who did Beyoncé date before Jay-Z? Beyoncé's only publicly confirmed relationship before Jay Z was with her childhood sweetheart, Lyndall Locke.
- Who is Lyndall Locke? Lyndall Locke is a chef who runs a catering business in the United States.
- Who is Lyndall Locke's wife? Lyndall Locke is married, though his wife keeps a low profile and is not widely known in the media.
- How old was Beyoncé when she dated Jay-Z? The American actress and singer was about 18 when she first met Jay-Z and significantly older when they began dating.
- What is the age difference between Jay-Z and Beyoncé? The couple has an age gap of around 12 years.
Before her relationship with Jay-Z, Beyoncé's only confirmed romance was with her teenage sweetheart, Lyndall Locke. While rumours occasionally surface about other early relationships, Beyoncé has consistently described Locke as her only boyfriend before Jay-Z.
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Though Ari Fletcher is dating Moneybagg Yo, she also shares a son with her ex-boyfriend, G Herbo. She is a social media star who was rumored to have dated boxer Gervonta Davis and several other famous people.
Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
