Does Beyoncé Get Along With Jay-Z’s Mom, Gloria Carter?

Gloria Carter has lived a relatively private life, but she gained public attention when Jay-Z opened up about their relationship on his 2017 album “4:44.” In the song “Smile,” Jay-Z publicly addressed his mother’s sexual orientation for the first time, revealing that Gloria is a proud lesbian. The lyrics expressed his love and support for her, highlighting the challenges she faced in coming to terms with her identity.

Gloria herself made a notable appearance in the song’s outro. Using spoken word, she said: “Living in the shadow feels like the safe place to be/No harm for them, no harm for me/But life is short, and it’s time to be free,” (via Genius). Showing support for her mother-in-law, Beyoncé was photographed attending Gloria’s wedding to Roxanne Wilshire in July 2023. Also in attendance was her own mother, Tina Knowles, Blue Ivy, and of course Jay-Z.

Beyoncé also made sure to honor Gloria during her speech at the 2019 GLAAD Awards, where she and Jay-Z were recognized as queer allies with the Vanguard Award, just one year after Gloria had nabbed the Special Recognition Award. “Whether it’s friends or family, the LGBTQ community has always supported us and lifted us up,” Beyoncé enthused, per Entertainment Weekly. “I hope that we continue to shift the stigmas in this community, especially the stigmas in Black families.”