Beyoncé’s publicist had to intervene with the Beyhive after the singer’s demeanor at Game 3 of the NBA Finals led fans to think that Nicole Curran, wife of Golden State Warriors majority owner Joe Lacob, was annoying her.
An ESPN Twitter video, viewed over 15 million times, captured the moment in question from the game on Wednesday, June 5. In the clip, Curran leans close to Beyoncé, 37, in order to talk to Jay-Z, Beyoncé’s husband, as the Homecoming performer’s smile fades.
Online, some Twitter users assumed Beyoncé was irritated with Curran. “Beyonce is so annoyed by this woman and [Jay-Z] gon’ hear about it on the jet,” one wrote. Another tweeted: “I swear Beyonce looked like she was bout to snatch a bitch up during #Game3.”
While some Twitter users called Curran “Becky with the good hair” — a reference to “Sorry,” Beyoncé’s song about infidelity — others called for the Beyhive to swarm.
“Hive, idk who this lady is… but we got until the end of the game to find her stats,” one wrote. “I’m talking social accounts, email, and ssn.”
On Instagram, Beyoncé’s publicist, Yvette Noel-Schure, didn’t directly mention the incident but asked the “beautiful BeyHIVE” to not post hateful messages. “I know your love runs deep but that love has to be given to every human,” she wrote on Thursday, June 6. “It will bring no joy to the person you love so much if you spew hate in her name. We love you.”
In the wake of the drama, Curran took her Instagram account offline, but ESPN senior writer Ramona Shelburne gave the former teacher’s side of the story. “She was in tears,” Shelburne revealed. “Said she had been getting death threats on social media all night this morning she disabled her IG account just to make it stop. Curran said she had no idea anything was even amiss until she got home and started seeing texts from friends and checked her social media.”
The reporter continued: “She’s invited Jay Z and Beyoncé to the game 3-4 times before. Last night she says she asked if they wanted drinks. Beyoncé asked for water. Curran says Jay Z asked for a vodka soda. She asked if he wanted lime with that. But it was loud in [the Oracle Arena] and she couldn’t hear, so she leaned over. That’s where the photos of Beyoncé looking askance at her come from.”
