Rihanna's former publicist publicly apologizes for spreading 2005 rumor that Jay Z was cheating on Beyoncé with young singer

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Rihanna’s former publicist has apologized for making up a rumor that the singer was having an affair with Jay Z.

In hopes of giving Rihanna's debut single Pon De Replay a boost in 2005, her then-publicist Jonathan Hay claimed that the older hip hop star was cheating on Beyonce with the then 17-year-old Rihanna. 

But he was forced to issue a public apology this week after an explosive new book claimed that due to Hay's rumor Beyoncé and Jay Z, who started dating in 2000, had separated for a year.

Rihanna's former publicist, Jonathan Hay (pictured) publicly apologized on Friday for creating rumors that Beyoncé and Jay Z separated for a year amid claims that the rapper was having an affair with Rihanna

According to the rumor, it was in 2005, around the time this picture was taken and Rihanna, then 17, released her debut single. At the time, Jay Z was 35 years old and Beyoncé was 24

The claims are laid bare in Becoming Beyoncé: The Untold Story which is written by celebrity biographer J Randy Taraborelli. 

On Friday Hay, who has already apologized to Jay Z, also issued an apology to Beyoncé in a statement on Inside Edition. 

‘I apologized to her ... this whole thing is very awkward,’ Hay told the New York Daily News. 

Hay, who moved on from his days as a publicist to producing his own music, recently uploaded his project, When Worlds Collide, on to Jay Z and Beyoncé’s Tidal.

‘I was blindsided by the news of Becoming Beyoncé coming out and it couldn't come at a worse time for me,’ Hay said in a statement.

'I'm currently releasing projects with my label Urban Hitchcock through Tidal, a company that is owned by Jay Z and Beyoncé... Hopefully this news hasn't ruined that relationship for me,’ he added.

Hay, who said he never met Taraborelli but spoke with his researcher, did not deny pushing why he knew was a rumor.

‘The pr stunt that I did was out of desperation to help break Pon de Replay,' he said in his statement. ‘It was reckless and I didn't think it was going to work. I was just throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what would stick.’

Taraborelli wrote in his book that Beyonce was so upset that she split up with Jay Z in 2005 for what he called a ‘lonely year’.

‘I didn't think it would be this big story,’ Hay said. ‘But now, seeing Beyoncé on the cover of this book and knowing that people are profiting from speculations and opinions about her really turns my stomach.

Ordeal: It has led many to revisit the notorious elevator spat (pictured) between Beyoncé's sister Solange and Jay Z, questioning whether Rihanna really was the root of their dispute 

Jay Z took on Rihanna as his protegée when she was 17 and mastered the release of her debut single Pon De Replay. The pair have remained close throughout the decade since. They are pictured together here in 2010

Infamous night: The May 2014 incident in the elevator involving a physical altercation between Beyoncé's sister Solange and Jay is touched on in the unauthorised biography

‘I'm ashamed that I'm even talking about this. I just want to put this rumor to rest once and for all.’

The resurfacing of the rumor led many to revisit the notorious elevator spat between Beyoncé's sister Solange and Jay Z, questioning whether Rihanna really was the root of their dispute.

DailyMail.com has reached out to Beyoncé’s publicist for comment on the book, but did not receive an immediate response.

Beyoncé, 34, and Jay Z, 45, are now married with a three-year-old daughter Blue Ivy.

But they have battled through a lot to reach this point, Taraborrelli told Entertainment Tonight on Thursday.

Describing the alleged split, he said: 'Beyoncé didn't know what to make of this, and it actually ended up breaking them up for a time.

'They spent maybe a year apart from each other because Beyoncé just wasn't sure of what to make of the situation with Rihanna.'

But he adds: 'It's safe to say that Rihanna and Beyoncé are friends.'

The alleged rumor would have taken place five years after an 18-year-old Beyoncé appeared on I Got That by Jay Z protegé Amil in 2000, marking the start of her open and very close association with Jay Z.

The pair started dating soon after. They remained under the radar until their 2002 duet, 03 Bonnie & Clyde.

They were pictured together on numerous occasions over the next four years. In 2005 they appeared virtually inseparable, hand-in-hand at every public event they attended. And in January 2006 Beyoncé told Cosmopolitan she had started 'thinking about what kind of wedding I’d want'.

Sticky situation: A new unauthorised biography alleges that Beyonce and Jay Z had split for 'maybe a year' amid rumours the rapper was having an affair with Rihanna

On good terms: Author J. Randy Taraborrelli insists that things are fine between the pop megastars as he said: 'It's safe to say that Rihanna and Beyonce are friends'

Documentarian: The 59-year-old biographer has previously written books about the Hilton family, Michael Jackson, Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra and Madonna

It is not clear whether Taraborrelli believes the couple were separated at the time of this interview.

He also addressed the notorious spat of May 2014, when Beyoncé's sister Solange was caught on surveillance camera lashing out at Jay Z in the elevator of New York's Standard Hotel after the Met Gala.

After a surveillance video of the incident made it's way on the internet without audio, many wondered what caused Beyoncé's 29-year-old sister to violently attack the 99 Problems rapper.

The author spoke to several individuals who are close to Beyoncé, and claimed he has heard from eyewitnesses that the Drunk In Love singer told Jay he could not attend Rihanna's after party at the Met Gala.

The author added: 'I think it's safe to say the only people who know for sure what happened are Bey, Jay, Solange and the bodyguard who were in the elevator.'

The author also alleges that Beyoncé has anyone looking after her three-year-old daughter Blue Ivy sign a contract titled 'Daily Program for Blue Ivy as Per Mrs. Carter.'

Taraborrelli explained: 'If you are a nanny coming into her household, and you think you are going to just raise Blue Ivy the way you want to, that's not gonna happen.

Former flame: The XO singer's former love, Lyndell Locke, previously spoke about his relationship with Beyoncé on Entertainment Tonight back in 2013

'Beyoncé has sort of an agreement, a structure of how she wants her child to be raised and you have to adhere to this.'

The Single Ladies hitmaker has allegedly only had two boyfriends in her life, Jay Z and Lyndell Locke, who she was in a nine year relationship with.

In the book, Locke spoke fondly of his ex and even said he learned a lot from their relationship as he added: 'She's still the first girl I ever kissed at that Brian McKnight concert so long ago, when we were little kids.

'That stays with you. ...I guess it's true what they say: You don't forget your first love.'

Becoming Beyoncé: The Untold Story is set for release next week on October 27.

The mother-of-one did receive some good news on Thursday as she had a victory in court over one of her hit tracks titled XO released in 2013.

A relatively unknown singer named Ahmad Javon Lane accused the 7/11 hitmaker of copying his tune titled XOXO as the judge ruled that the songs were not very much alike in terms of musically, lyrically or even thematically and the case was ultimately tossed out, according to a Thursday report from TMZ.

The gossip site notes that the ruling party had explained Lane's song was 'explicitly sexual,' while Beyoncé's was more gentle with more romantic symbolism.

THE voice: Rihanna took over The Voice on Tuesday in a sneak peek of her upcoming mentoring sessions, as she posed with Gwen Stefani (left) 

She's good: Rihanna was praised by the contestants and the judges for her coaching skills - catching up with coach Blake Shelton