The conspiracy theory, which surfaced on the internet and was documented by Buzzfeed in 2013, states that Beyoncé Knowles’ sister, Solange Knowles, born in 1986, is actually her daughter. The fantastical claim goes on to state that Beyoncé Knowles is older than she claims to be, as “proven” by a birth certificate dating back to 1974, allegedly produced by a nameless Texas civil servant. Another detail brought up by conspiracy theorists as “proof” is a statement Beyoncé’s friend Gabrielle Union made in 2008 (via Popdust): “Beyoncé and I have been friends since we were teenagers.” Union was born in 1972.
“This is some straight-up ‘Days of Our Lives’ nonsense,” declares Kevin Fallon, writing at The Daily Beast, “which is to say that it is fun to entertain, but only as pure ridiculousness.” The rumor that Beyoncé is Solange’s mother, that she not only hid that fact but lied about her age, was named by Esquire to be one of “the greatest celebrity conspiracy theories of all time.”
