Rita Ora has once again addressed speculation that she was the "Becky with the good hair" mentioned in Beyoncé's 2016 song "Sorry" from the album "Lemonade." The rumors intensified shortly after Ora left Jay-Z's record label and Beyoncé released the song, which alluded to infidelity.
Speculation reached a peak when Ora posted a Snapchat featuring lemon-print lingerie and a necklace with the initial "J." She was later seen wearing a "Not Becky" pin at a Met Ball after-party. Ora has consistently denied the allegations, and she recently stated that she would be interested in discovering who initially started the rumor.
"I don’t know who initiated that whole Becky drama, but I’d love to find out who it was," Ora told The Times. "It’s always woman pitted against woman and you can be sure neither of us had anything to gain."
In 2022, Ora discussed the "Becky" drama with Louis Theroux, explaining the lemon-print lingerie and the "J" necklace incident. She claimed the necklace initially featured an "R" that appeared as a "J" when flipped, and the lemon-themed photoshoot was for a collaboration with an underwear company called Tezenis, asserting it was a coincidence.
Ora also noted the role social media played in amplifying the rumors. "It’s easy to forget, but ten years ago social media was still quite a new thing," she said. "You could be minding your own business then wake up one morning and find out the whole world was on your case."
Ora has expressed frustration that her personal life often garners more attention than her professional achievements. "It's interesting 'cause I feel like everyone is very interested in my personal life, like everything else is not worthy enough," she stated. "Which, sometimes, is frustrating because I have also got a lot of credentials to sustain my respect."
In 2016, she previously pushed back against the rumors, calling the accusations "incredibly rude and disrespectful to women in general." Ora later posted a joint selfie with Beyoncé, captioned "Family," to demonstrate there was no lingering animosity.