Jay-Z, real name Shawn Carter, and Beyoncé did not have a great end to 2024. The rapper was hit with a lawsuit alleging that he raped a 13-year-old in 2000 with Sean “Diddy” Combs. While Jay-Z vows to fight the allegations as 2024 comes to a close, we’re looking back at what he told Gwyneth Paltrow in the past regarding his New Year’s resolutions. Here’s the unexpected resolution he once shared.

Jay-Z once said he had a New Year’s resolution to stop eating french fries every day

Jay-Z has taken the media by storm in 2024 for all the wrong reasons. The mogul was once a respected artist, but his association with Sean “Diddy” Combs and alleged crimes in 2000 have fans turning against him. However, well before the allegations against Jay-Z and Combs hit the public, Jay-Z shared his New Year’s resolution with his friend, Gwyneth Paltrow.

“I don’t typically believe in waiting a year to ‘resolve,’” he told Paltrow in her GOOPtastic newsletter in 2011, according to Today. “It should be a daily thing, I’ll say, to communicate on a deeper level with the people I love (not just in my music …).”

On a lighter note, Jay-Z added, “and not to eat french fries every day!”

Jay-Z and Beyoncé seemed to have a fantastic New Year’s Eve in 2010. The power couple performed at the grand opening of the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas to celebrate the end of the year. Coldplay, Kanye West, and John Mayer also had surprise performances to round out the evening.

Gwyneth Paltrow explained how she became close with Jay-Z

Jay-Z sharing his New Year’s resolution with Gwyneth Paltrow may seem unexpected. However, Paltrow once told Ellen DeGeneres in 2010 that she and her then-husband, Chris Martin, “became close” to Jay-Z and Beyoncé after initially meeting in 2006 at a New York City gala. In 2011, Paltrow and Jay-Z interviewed each other, and Jay-Z called her his “sister.”

In 2015, Paltrow elaborated on the friendship while speaking to Howard Stern. “We all became friends. I normally don’t do that, but [we vibed] in that particular case,” Paltrow told the host, according to Us Weekly. “They’re the greatest people. They are funny and sweet, and self-aware, and really intelligent.”

Paltrow’s relationship with Jay-Z and Beyoncé hit a snag in 2018 after Amber Rose suggested that Jay-Z may have been cheating on Beyoncé with Paltrow. Paltrow’s rep later told Us Weekly that the allegations were “completely absurd and 100% false.”

Beyoncé wants to put on a ‘united front’ with her husband as 2024 ends

Beyoncé and Jay-Z fans are eagerly awaiting to see what happens with the lawsuit against Jay-Z in the new year. For now, Beyoncé is standing proudly by her husband’s side. A source told The U.S. Sun that the Destiny’s Child singer hoped to put up a “united front” with Jay-Z and their daughter, Blue Ivy, during the Mufasa: The Lion King premiere.

“There was hesitation on the Disney side regarding the best way to handle it given the events from [the lawsuit],” the source shared. “At the end of the day, it was Beyoncé’s call. They allowed her to decide how she thought was best to handle the situation; that’s how much Disney trusts and values her. And the way she wanted to handle it was to smile, put on a united front standing by her man, but also celebrate her daughter.”

How to get help: In the U.S., call the RAINN National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 to connect with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area

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