Beyoncé Covered Elle January 2020 edition; talks Life, Love & Pregnancy Rumors
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter debuts her new gender-neutral IVY PARK x adidas collaboration line, and gets downright candid answering a host of burning questions submitted by her legion of loyal fans.
“The last time I went to a supermarket, it was more like a bodega before a Madonna concert,” she says answering a fan’s question about her shopping habits. “Jay and I snuck into one in Crenshaw and bought some Cuervo and Funyuns chips. And…y’all know you see me at Target and I see y’all trying to sneak pics.”
The mother of three (she shares daughter Blue Ivy, 7 and twins Rumi and Sir, 2 with husband of 11 years JAY-Z) gets even more forthcoming—and relatable—when asked what stresses her out these days.
“I think the most stressful thing for me is balancing work and life. Making sure I am present for my kids—dropping Blue off at school, taking Rumi and Sir to their activities, making time for date nights with my husband, and being home in time to have dinner with my family,” she says. “Juggling all of those roles can be stressful, but I think that’s life for any working mom.”
Speaking of motherhood, Beyonce reveals the question that really works a nerve is the one the internet is always posing. “‘Are you pregnant?’” she says of what she hates hearing the most, and adds, “Get off my ovaries!”
“If someone told me 15 years ago that my body would go through so many changes and fluctuations, and that I would feel more womanly and secure with my curves, I would not have believed them. But children and maturity have taught me to value myself beyond my physical appearance and really understand that I am more than enough no matter what stage I’m at in life. Giving zero f—s is the most liberating place to be.”
Asked if she’s been disappointed by not winning certain major awards for Lemonade and Homecoming, she says not even.
“Success looks different to me now. Having miscarriages taught me that I had to mother myself before I could be a mother to someone else. Then I had Blue, and the quest for my purpose became so much deeper. I died and was reborn in my relationship, and the quest for self became even stronger.”
She continues, “Being ‘number one’ was no longer my priority. My true win is creating art and a legacy that will live far beyond me. That’s fulfilling.”
That’s not to say things don’t ever get to her. “I’m human,” she says of how reading online criticism can sting at times. But, she adds “I try to remind myself that I’m strong and I’m built for this. Thank God most of the noise bounces off of me after all of these years.”