Beyoncé And Jay Z Might Have Separated For A Year Because Of Rihanna

Beyoncé expert and unauthorized biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli makes a particularly bold claim regarding Bey and Jay's marriage in his new book, “Becoming Beyoncé: The Untold Story.”

According to the author, Yoncé spent a year separated from her husband, Jay Z, when rumors the rapper hooked up with then-protégé Rihanna began making their way through the ole mill.

In an interview with "Entertainment Tonight," Taraborrelli explained,

Beyoncé didn't know what to make of this, and it actually ended up breaking them up for a time. They spent maybe a year apart from each other because Beyoncé just wasn't sure of what to make of the situation with Rihanna.

Granted, the author added, the initial Rihanna rumor “was total fiction.”

Rihanna was around 17 at the time the rumor began, and Taraborrelli chalked the affair story up to the babble of a publicist looking to create career buzz.

Unfortunately, however, the RiRi rumor may have weaseled its way back into the Carter family life again when Solange and Jay got physical in the elevator at the 2014 Met Gala.

The biographer, whose book hits shelves October 27, claimed to speak to eyewitnesses who said the squabble resulted from Beyoncé forbidding Jay Z to attend Rihanna's after-party.

Taraborrelli added,

It was a whispered married couple's argument that would have gone by completely unnoticed had not Solange overheard it… Solange has always been Beyoncé's biggest protector.

Regardless of the validity of these accounts, one thing is certain: J. Randy Taraborrelli is a loyal subject of King Bey.

Citations: Jay Z and Beyonce Reportedly Broke Up For A Year Because Of Rihanna (Complex), Beyoncé's Unauthorized Biography: 7 of the Book's Biggest Bombshells From Rihanna to Blue Ivy to the Elevator (Entertainment Tonight)