Jay-Z and Beyoncé made a memorable appearance on the red carpet at the Los Angeles premiere of Mufasa: The Lion King on Monday evening, showing their support for their daughter, Blue Ivy Carter.
The 12-year-old Blue Ivy voices the character of Kiara, the daughter of Simba (voiced by Donald Glover) and Nala (voiced by Beyoncé), in the highly anticipated prequel to Disney’s 2019 photorealistic remake of The Lion King. Both Glover and Beyoncé reprise their roles from the earlier film.
Jay-Z’s surprise appearance at the event came just one day after he was named in a civil lawsuit, alongside Sean “Diddy” Combs, in connection to a 2000 sexual assault allegation. The lawsuit, initially filed in October, had originally only named Combs but was refiled on Sunday to include Jay-Z, whose full name is Shawn Carter.
On Sunday, Jay-Z addressed the recent lawsuit accusations, calling the claims “idiotic” and describing them as part of a “blackmail attempt” in a statement. He referred to the allegations as a “demand letter” from a lawyer named Tony Buzbee.
Jay-Z expressed his personal distress, saying, “My only heartbreak is for my family. My wife and I will have to sit our children down, one of whom is at the age where her friends will surely see the press and ask questions about the nature of these claims, and explain the cruelty and greed of people.” He continued, “I mourn yet another loss of innocence. Children should not have to endure such at their young age. It is unfair to have to try to understand inexplicable degrees of malice meant to destroy families and human spirit.”
Prior to the Mufasa: The Lion King screening in Los Angeles, Beyoncé and Blue Ivy Carter stood alongside their castmates on stage, where director Barry Jenkins delivered the opening remarks.
