The Strange Conspiracy Theory About Beyonce And Jay-Z Explained

Wild conspiracy theories are nothing new; they've been around for centuries. Smithsonian notes they were rampant in the 1800s, whipping up fear and mistrust for political purposes and gain. However, the cray's been ramped up in the 21st century with the QAnon insanity, which as Rolling Stone reports, includes Hilary Clinton running a child sex trafficking ring from the (non-existent) basement of a pizza parlor and JFK Jr. faking his death and undergoing extensive plastic surgery to become Vincent Fusca, a financial services manager from Pittsburgh, who's going to be Donald Trump's vice president, per Independent.

But there are plenty of alleged celeb intrigues, too. The bizarre Katy Perry conspiracy theory that she's actually JonBenét Ramsay in disguise, per Refinery 29. And the head-turning Britney Spears conspiracy theory that suggests the singer was replaced by a double and had been conveying "secret messages" via Instagram. Spears' rep shot down the speculation STAT (via Vanity Fair).

However, for some reason, Beyoncé Knowles and Jay-Z Carter are featured in an inordinate amount of absurd conspiracies out there on the web. Take the bizarre Beyoncé theory that she faked her pregnancy with Blue Ivy Carter after a video (via TMZ) apparently showed her baby bump was actually a "prosthetic device intended to deceive." Then as Forbes reports, KW Miller, a Florida politician, alleged in 2020 that Beyoncé is secretly Italian and not a Black US citizen. However, there's an age-old even stranger conspiracy theory about Beyoncé and Jay-Z that needs to be explained.

Conspiracists believe Beyoncé Knowles and Jay-Z Carter run the Illuminati world. Per Forbes, they're allegedly dedicated to establishing "a new world order" by brainwashing everyone with secret codes and symbols in their performances. Theorists literally spend days creating YouTube videos providing "evidence" of Beyoncé and Jay-Z's ties to the supposed modern-day secret society. 

They see signs and proof everywhere, and in fairness, Jay-Z and Beyoncé offer plenty of material for conspiracy theorists to mull over. There's his trademark Roc Nation triangular hand sign, the couple's obsession with numerology, and their use of religious iconography and symbolism. As Vulture notes, there are videos that include "skull-like makeup reminiscent of the Joker," crucifixes, blood-dripping lips, and "goat skulls with massive horns." 

Jay-Z briefly alluded to his supposed walk on the secret society's dark side in 2010. "Rumors of Lucifer; I don't know who to trust. Whole world want my demise," he rapped in "Freemason" (via Genius). "I said I was amazing, not a Mason," he continued. Meanwhile, Beyoncé also hit back. "Y'all haters corny with that Illuminati mess," she sang on "Formation," (via AZ Lyrics).

The most amusing part of the Beyoncé Knowles and Jay-Z Carter conspiracy theory is the concept of their modern-day Illuminati society stems from a joke. National Geographic reports the first (real) Illuminati was created by "18th-century German thinker Adam Weishaupt." His secret society shed light on the potential dangers of "religious and elitist influence," resulting in Weishaupt being labeled an "enemy of the state." There were various other Illuminati over the decades until they were eventually outlawed by conservative and Christian groups.

Fast forward to fake news times, and it's all been flipped around. The alleged Illuminati of today is supposedly comprised of satanic shape-shifting lizards that dominate and control world affairs and the media with the aim of establishing a one-world government that controls the entire global population. BBC reports that the modern-day conspiracy theory take on the Illuminati stems from a joke counter-culture book written in the 1960s. "Principia Discordia" was "a parody text for a parody faith – Discordianism." It was written by a group that wanted "to cause civil disobedience, practical jokes and hoaxes."

Meanwhile, according to She Knows, Beyoncé and Jay-Z are among good company. Some of their alleged Illuminati cohorts include Justin Bieber, Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, and Taylor Swift, among many others. The thought of Lohan and Hilton hatching a plan for anything — let alone world domination — kind of beggars belief. Kardashian, though? Now that's plausible.