Beyoncé is leaning on her former Destiny’s Child bandmate Michelle Williams in the wake of allegations that her husband Jay-Z raped a 13-year-old girl with Sean “Diddy” Combs.
The Cowboy Carter singer, 43, has been left “embarrassed, devastated and shocked” after the rapper, 55, was hit with a civil lawsuit on Sunday alleging he sexually assaulted the teen on September 7, 2000 after the MTV Video Music Awards .
While Jay-Z, real name Shawn Carter, denied the claims and insisted he was the victim of an ‘attempted blackmail’, Beyoncé is said to be ‘confused and shocked’ by the allegations and has been ‘crying in recent days’.
Insiders say singer and actress Williams, 45, has been a huge source of support for the multi-award winning artist, helping her make sense of it all.
A source exclusively told DailyMail.com that Williams, who is currently on Broadway in Death Becomes Her, “prays with her every day as she considers all her options.”
They said, “She has always been Beyoncé’s most spiritual friend, and she helped her through the Beyoncé hate train in the early 2000s when LeToya and LaTavia left the group.
Beyoncé is said to be ‘ashamed, devastated and shocked’ after her husband Jay-Z is accused of raping a 13-year-old girl
Jay-Z, 55, was charged on Sunday with a civil lawsuit alleging he sexually assaulted the teen on September 7, 2000, at an MTV Video Music Awards after-party.
“Michelle was one of the first people Bey confided in and they spoke every night when Michelle had time off from her Broadway show.
“Michelle is often called the ‘third wheel,’ but the truth is, she really holds it together because of her love for God. She is currently Beyoncé’s rock.’
Williams and Beyoncé’s friendship dates back to the early 2000s, when the former joined Destiny’s Child.
She joined the group, which already consisted of Kelly Rowland, shortly after LaTavia and LeToya were kicked out by manager Mathew Knowles – Beyoncé’s father.
The source continued, “Beyoncé is not in a good place at all and is surrounded by her mom and other friends at their LA home,” the insider added.
“She has canceled a number of surprise promotional appearances.
“Jay has reassured her that he is not guilty of anything and is furious that his friendship with Diddy has dragged him into this.”
According to reports, Beyoncé – who shares daughter Blue Ivy, 12, and twins Rumi and Sir, seven, with her husband – has canceled an interview to promote her Christmas Day halftime show.
According to insiders, Beyoncé’s former Destiny’s Child bandmate, Michelle Williams 45, has been a huge source of support for the multi-award winning artist.
Beyoncé, 43, joined Williams on Broadway last month in Death Becomes Her. They were joined by Kelly Rowland (pictured)
Another insider told DailyMail.com: ‘Beyoncé is ashamed, devastated and shocked by the allegations against her husband.
“He is by no means a saint and has cheated on Beyoncé in the past and she hoped this was the worst thing they would have to experience.”
Jay-Z is reportedly living “somewhere else so he can work on his business without interrupting the kids’ routine.”
The Roc Nation founder released a furious statement on Sunday evening denying and condemning the “heinous” and “idiotic” allegations.
In his statement, he lambasted Texas-born attorney Tony Buzbee, suggesting he was not a legitimate lawyer, and launched a slew of insults, calling him a “deplorable human being” and an “ambulance chaser in a cheap suit” mentioned.
Buzbee has filed several lawsuits in recent months accusing Combs of assault and rape. This is the first court case in which he has named another high-profile suspect.
“My attorney received a blackmail attempt, a so-called demand letter, from an ‘attorney’ named Tony Buzbee,” his statement read.
“What he calculated was the nature of these allegations and the public scrutiny would make me want to settle.
Williams and Beyoncé were bandmates in Destiny’s Child, along with Rowland (pictured in 2000)
Jay-Z pictured at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York, the night of the alleged attack
Jay-Z and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs allegedly attacked the girl while the other watched next to an unnamed female celebrity
‘No sir, it had the opposite effect! It made me want to expose you in a VERY public way for the fraud you are committing. So no, I won’t give you a single red cent!!’
He continued, “These allegations are so heinous in nature that I implore you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil complaint!! Whoever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked up, don’t you agree? If that were the case, these alleged victims would deserve real justice.”
The rapper then said that it is ‘unfair’ that his family, especially his eldest daughter Blue Ivy, will also be affected.
“My only heartbreak is for my family,” he wrote. “My wife and I will have to sit down our children, one of whom is at the age when her friends will surely see the press and ask questions about the nature of these claims, and explain the cruelty and greed of people.
‘I mourn yet another loss of innocence.
‘Children shouldn’t have to experience this at a young age. It is unfair to have to try to understand the inexplicable level of malice designed to destroy families and the human spirit.”
He added: ‘Only your network of conspiracy theorists, fake physics, will believe the idiotic claims you have made against me which, without the severity of the harm to children, would be laughable.’
Carter is accused of assaulting a woman, identified in legal documents as Jane Doe, at an MTV Video Music Awards afterparty on September 7, 2000.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z pictured at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles earlier this year
Jay-Z issued a lengthy statement on Sunday denying the “heinous” and “idiotic” claims in the refiled lawsuit
The suit claims she was driven to a house party and offered a drink that left her feeling “woozy and light-headed and feeling like she needed to lie down.”
Combs and Carter then allegedly entered the room as Combs declared, “You’re ready to party!”
She claims Carter then took off her clothes, held her down and raped her while Combs and an unnamed female celebrity watched. She says Combs also raped her while Carter and the woman watched.
The lawsuit was originally filed last October in the Southern District of New York against Combs.
It was refiled on Sunday naming Jay-Z as a suspect.
The featured female celebrity was unnamed at the time of writing.
On Monday, Beyoncé’s mother Tina Knowles liked a post shared on Instagram by abc7Chicago that was captioned: “Breaking news: Jay-Z, Diddy named in lawsuit alleging rape of girl, 13.”
Knowles, 70, has not publicly responded to the bombing accusation.