Beyoncé and JAY-Z welcomed three children together after tying the knot in 2008

Jay Z and singer Beyonce with daughter Blue Ivy Carter onstage during the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 24, 2014 in Inglewood, California

PHOTO: KEVIN WINTER/MTV1415/GETTY

Beyoncé and JAY-Z are one of Hollywood’s most notoriously private couples, but they’re even more hush-hush regarding their three children.

After dating since 2000, the couple exchanged vows in 2008, and their family began to blossom with the birth of their first child, Blue Ivy, in January 2012. Their joy multiplied in 2017 with the arrival of twins, Rumi and Sir.

In a rare appearance on Kevin Hart’s “Hart to Heart” series on Peacock, JAY-Z spoke openly about his commitment to stepping back from his music career to prioritize spending time with their three children.

“Time is all you have,” he reflected. “That’s the only thing we control. It’s how you spend your time. Every second that you spend, you’re spending away from the development of these people that you brought here, that you love more than anything in the world. So what are you going to spend that time on? That changed practically everything for me.”

Similarly, Beyoncé has also addressed the difficulties of balancing motherhood with her career, emphasizing the challenges of finding equilibrium between the two roles.

Beyonce documentary The Gift

Beyoncé (R) and JAY-Z with their kids.
“In 2019, I think the most stressful aspect for me is finding the right balance between work and personal life,” the musician shared candidly with Elle. “Ensuring that I’m fully present for my kids—dropping Blue off at school, taking Rumi and Sir to their activities, carving out time for date nights with my husband, and being home in time to share dinner with my family—while simultaneously managing a company, can indeed be challenging.”

As their children grow older, they’ve begun to make more public appearances alongside their parents. Notably, JAY-Z was accompanied by Blue Ivy and Rumi at the 2024 Super Bowl, where they were spotted happily posing for photographs on the field.

From the birth of their eldest to the much-talked-about announcement of their twins, here’s a comprehensive look at Beyoncé and JAY-Z’s three children.

 

Blue Ivy, 12

Blue Ivy Carter attends a basketball game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on March 08, 2020 in Los Angeles, California

ALLEN BEREZOVSKY/GETTY

The first-time parents welcomed their daughter Blue Ivy in New York City on Jan. 7, 2012. They formally introduced her to the world with a series of photos the following month.

The former Destiny’s Child member first revealed her pregnancy on August 28, 2011, at the MTV VMAs in Los Angeles while cradling a bump on the red carpet. During her “Love on Top” performance, she told the audience, “I want you to stand up on your feet. I want you to feel the love that’s growing inside me.”

Blue has already started following in the footsteps of her musical parents. When she was only two days old, her vocals were featured on her father’s song “Glory,” which earned her the title of a Guinness World Record holder for being the youngest person to have a song appear on a Billboard chart.

In 2020, she was featured in her mother’s song “Brown Skin Girl.” Blue brought home a BET Her Award, NAACP Image Award and a Grammy Award for best music video for her feature. She is the second youngest individually credited winner of a Grammy Award.

Aside from her musical accomplishments, Blue has helped induct her dad into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, provided narration for a book and even assists with taking care of her younger siblings.

Jay Z, daughter Blue Ivy Carter and recording artist Beyonce attend the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 2018 in New York City

KEVIN MAZUR/GETTY

Blue is also taking notes on self-care from her busy mom. The “Formation” singer told Harper’s Bazaar that Blue is already adopting her go-to rituals, saying, “One of my most satisfying moments as a mom is when I found Blue one day soaking in the bath with her eyes closed, using blends I created and taking time for herself to decompress and be at peace I have so much to share … and there’s more to come soon!”

In October 2022, Blue Ivy accompanied her parents to the 2022 Wearable Art Gala in L.A. During the event, she made headlines by bidding over $80,000 on a pair of Lorraine Schwartz diamond earrings, which her grandmother and the event’s host, Tina Knowles, was wearing that night. In a video, Blue was captured energetically waving her paddle while dressed in a charming blue outfit. Ultimately, she was outbid by Monique Rodriguez, the founder of Mielle Organics, and her husband Melvin, who secured the earrings with a winning bid of $105,000.

After a four-year hiatus, Beyoncé made a triumphant return to the stage for a remarkable performance in Dubai in January 2023. During the hour-long set, Blue Ivy made a special appearance to perform a duet of “Brown Skin Girl” alongside her mother. Both were impeccably dressed for the occasion, with Blue donning a sparkling red ensemble while Beyoncé stunned in a canary yellow corset-style gown.

Blue Ivy made another notable public appearance at the 2023 Super Bowl alongside her father a few weeks later. The father-daughter duo arrived in coordinated all-black outfits, complete with graphic T-shirts and sunglasses. At the event, JAY-Z showcased his proud dad moments by capturing photos of Blue in the Eagles’ end zone before the game commenced.

Beyonce and Blue Ivy Dancing

TINA KNOWLES/INSTAGRAM

In May 2023, Blue Ivy stepped out for the opening night of her mom’s Renaissance World Tour, which kicked off in Stockholm, Sweden. She was seen in an oversized black t-shirt, standing with her father. Later that month, Blue Ivy took the stage with her mom in Paris. She performed the dance choreography for two songs — “My Power” and “Black Parade.”

“My beautiful first born 🙏🏾 I’m so proud and thankful to be your mama. You bring us so much joy, my sweet angel,” Beyonce wrote on Instagram following the show.

 

Rumi and Sir, 6

Beyonce Channels Lisa Bonet

Following an “extremely difficult” pregnancy, Beyoncé gave birth to daughter Rumi and son Sir in L.A. on June 13, 2017. Exactly one month after their birth, the couple made their first public appearance together since becoming parents to three. That same day, Beyoncé also revealed the names and the first photo of the twins.

In August 2017, JAY-Z provided insight into the unique names chosen for their twins, Rumi and Sir. “Rumi is our favorite poet, so it was for our daughter,” he explained. “Sir was like, man, come out the gate. He carries himself like that. He just came out, like, Sir.”

Beyoncé initially announced her pregnancy with twins in a record-breaking Instagram post on February 1, 2017. Captioning a photo of herself cradling her growing baby bump, she wrote, “We would like to share our love and happiness. We have been blessed two times over.”

In August 2021, the twins made a notable appearance in an ad for Beyoncé’s IVY PARK x Adidas clothing line for kids. Beyoncé revealed that the inspiration behind the children’s line stemmed from her desire to coordinate outfits with her three children.

“On our family vacations, we love to coordinate our outfits. My kids are usually on set with me for shoots, and we’d find ourselves putting them in extra-extra-smalls so we could match. So it is a natural progression for IVY PARK to introduce a selection of key silhouettes in children’s sizing,” she shared with Harper’s Bazaar.

Rumi, Beyonce, Blue Ivy

IVY PARK/TWITTER

According to their grandma Tina, all three of Beyoncé and JAY-Z’s children are already developing a strong sense of style, and even contributed to their mom’s design line.

“Well, they are little fashionistas, and they have definite determination about what they like and what they don’t like. When Beyoncé’s doing the first samples, they get them, and some things they love, and some things you can tell are not their favorite,” she told .

Tina also shared that on a trip to Disneyland, 5-year-old Rumi defended her outfit choice when her older sister offered her opinion on it.

“We recently went to Disneyland, and she put on her Mickey Mouse shorts. Then she wanted to put on a sparkly printed top, which had the same colors. It actually looked really cute,” she explained. “But her sister came in and Blue was like, ‘My mom would be mad because she’s doing too much.’ And Rumi said, ‘This is my style.’ She’s 5. I was impressed.”

When Beyoncé released her country album, Cowboy Carter, in March 2024, Rumi made her music debut. At the beginning of the song “Protector,” Rumi can be heard saying, “Mom, can I hear the lullaby please?’ As of April 2024, she holds the title of youngest woman to chart on the Billboard Hot 100.