Beyonce put on a brave face on Christmas Day as she performed for the first time since her husband Jay-Z was accused of rape.
Riding a white horse for her halftime appearance, the 32-time Grammy winner rocked the crowd in her hometown of Houston with a nearly 13-minute performance on Wednesday.
She surprised fans at the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens game by bringing out Shaboozey to perform 'Sweet Honey Buckiin' and Post Malone joined her for 'Levii's Jeans.'
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens led CJ Stroud and the Texans to 17-2 at halftime before Beyoncé stole the show.
Mariah Carey opened Wednesday's Netflix doubleheader with a recorded performance of 'All I Want for Christmas is You,' but Beyoncé, 43, performed live at NRG Stadium.
She sparked a frenzy on social media by making a gun gesture with her left pointer and middle finger high above the NRG Stadium turf, leaving social media users joking about an NFL player doing the same. same.
Beyonce took the stage for the first time since her husband Jay-Z was accused of rape
Beyoncé's performance featured musical guests, including her 12-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy.
Beyoncé rode a white horse during halftime of the Texans-Ravens game.
Netflix promised several special guests and Post Malone joined Beyoncé from the beginning.
Her performance came in the wake of a lawsuit accusing her husband Jay-Z and disgraced rapper Sean 'Diddy' Combs of raping a 13-year-old girl at an MTV Video Music Awards after-party in New York in 2000.
Jay-Z strongly denied the allegations, and a lawyer for Diddy, who is currently awaiting trial and behind bars on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution, also denied the allegations.
It was his first performance since he last took the stage in October 2023 to conclude his successful Renaissance World Tour at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.
Despite her husband's lawsuit, Beyoncé is reportedly still planning to go ahead with her upcoming world stadium tour.
On Monday, a source close to the Texas Hold Em singer told The Sun that she is scheduled to announce her next series of shows within weeks, and they say it will kick off in Los Angeles in March.
The source revealed: “It's been a very difficult few months for Beyoncé, but she's very focused on making her upcoming tour a success.”
'The next few weeks are crucial as he will announce a new album and a new tour. “The announcement was supposed to be made a couple of weeks ago, but it was postponed,” the source continued.
They added: “Even though Jay-Z is resolute in his denials and the allegations are completely false, people are aware that mud can stick.”
“Online chatter has claimed that Beyoncé and Jay-Z have lost their power couple status, but Beyoncé is ready to remind the world why she's one of the best,” the source said.
His performance comes in the wake of allegations that Jay-Z raped a 13-year-old girl in 2000.
It was their first performance since October 2023 when their Renaissance World Tour ended.
The show also marked the first time Beyoncé performed songs from her latest album, Cowboy Carter, live. He has performed in two Super Bowls in his career.
Just a few weeks ago, Jay-Z, 55, responded to the rape allegation, calling her an “idiot” in a statement.
In a subsequent post shared on X (formerly Twitter), the rapper detailed how the accusation will affect not only his career, but also his position as a father. In response, he said he would have to sit his children down (Blue Ivy, 12, and twins Rumi and Sir, seven) to formally explain the matter.
“My wife and I will have to sit down with our children, one of whom is of an age where his friends will surely see the press and ask questions about the nature of these claims, and explain the cruelty and greed of the people,” he stated. . 'I mourn another loss of innocence.
“Children should not have to endure this at such a young age,” he continued. 'It is unfair to have to try to understand inexplicable degrees of malice aimed at destroying families and the human spirit.
“My heart and support go out to the real victims of the world who have to watch as this ambulance chaser in a cheap suit disguises his life story for profit,” Jay-Z wrote in the lengthy statement.
Beyoncé's next album will be her ninth studio album. He has yet to officially confirm the release of another album and tour.
Netflix's NFL debut was streamed to the platform's 282.3 million subscribers in more than 190 countries, marking the first time a media outlet distributed a game globally.
The games are the first of a three-year deal for Netflix, which also has one game each in 2025 and 2026. Netflix will pay $150 million for this year's package.