More than a decade after the soundless security footage of Jay-Z and Solange Knowles' infamous elevator fight went viral, someone with knowledge of the incident shared juicy details. The video, which captured a furious Solange kicking and hitting her brother-in-law, Jay-Z, as Beyoncé looked on, has remained an indelible, if baffling, moment in pop culture history.
Even if the family released a terse statement days later, the true catalyst behind the 2014 blowout fight has always intrigued fans. Now, a source with direct insight into the evening has offered fresh details that might end the rumours about the incident or confirm those speculations.
Solange's Alleged Trigger
Fashion designer Oscar G Lopez, who was behind Rachel Roy's 2014 Met Gala dress, spoke with The Daily Mail about the incident that occurred 11 years ago. According to him, the 'Empire State of Mind' hitmaker was captivated by Roy's black lace gown and complimented her on it. However, his words, though pleasant to Roy, did not go down well with his sister-in-law.
'I think that Jay complimented her about the gown and Beyoncé's sister felt that it was not proper, so it was a kind of a drama there,' Lopez explained.
This account aligns with long-standing speculation that the friction was rooted in Jay-Z's proximity to Roy. Roy, the ex-wife of Jay-Z's former business partner Damon Dash, had long been a figure of tension within the circle, a dynamic that reportedly reached its breaking point in the confines of the elevator.
The Incident and Immediate Aftermath
The altercation inside an elevator at The Standard, High Line hotel occurred as Jay-Z, Beyoncé, and Solange were leaving. TMZ was the first to leak the surveillance video footage showing Solange, in an orange gown, shoving and pushing Jay-Z while the security personnel attempted to restrain her.
Beyoncé just stood there and made no effort to mediate in the conflict. This inaction prompted fans to speculate regarding the state of the marriage.
EXCLUSIVE! Fashion designer Oscar G. Lopez claimed that Beyoncé's sister Solange's anger, from the infamous elevator fight, stemmed from what she assumed was Jay-Z's alleged affair with Rachel Roy!
— ˢᴸᴱᴱᶻᴱ𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘫 (@sleezeSTAN) December 4, 2025
Jay Z complimented Rachel's dress and all hell broke loose 😭 https://t.co/6XF5HtScRU pic.twitter.com/JdS9d839DE
Infidelity Rumour
Several fans speculated that Solange attacked her brother-in-law because Jay-Z cheated on Beyoncé with fashion designer Rachel Roy.
Beyoncé seemingly fuelled the rumour after dropping her infidelity-themed album Lemonade two years later. In her single 'Sorry', the former Destiny's Child child singer sings 'He better call Becky with the good hair.'
Roy seemed to solidify the rumours after sharing a photo of her on Instagram with a cryptic caption that read: 'Good hair don't care, but we will take good lighting, for selfies, or self truths, always. Live in the light #nodramaqueens.'
Solange and Jay-Z have already 'moved past' the issue, and the viral incident was already 'under the bridge at this point' for Beyoncé's sister and husband, an insider told InTouch earlier this year.
Jay-Z eventually responded with his own introspective album, 4:44, in which he appeared to admit to infidelity, further cementing the elevator incident as the public unveiling of private turmoil.
Collateral Damage
Although the scandal put Jay-Z and Beyoncé's cast a shadow on Jay-Z and Beyoncé's marriage, Lopez acknowledged that it was beneficial for his business. The shocking incident became a global headline, and many discussed Roy and her gown because she was associated with it.
The designer said, 'Any press is good press' because 'people talk about you.' Roy contacted Lopez to create her Met Gala gown after he won the first season of Project Runway spinoff Under the Gunn.
When Jay-Z and Solange's elevator fight went viral, Roy reportedly called Lopez and told him, 'The dress was all over the news.'
Looking back at the incident, the designer said, 'Sometimes you benefit from a scandal, not even being part of it in a very direct way. Let's just call it a collateral damage. It was meant to be.'
