The legal representatives of singer Rihanna, are slamming reports that heats up from the new book "Becoming Beyoncé" - especially the claim the book made about a rumor discharged in 2005 that Rihanna and one of the most financially successful entrepreneurs in America - Jay Z, had an affair to boost up exposure for her.
This week, the book dropped a bombshell by quoting Jonathan Hay, who asserted he leaked untrue details about a romance between the 'Pour It Up' singer Rihanna and Jay Z to actively encourage her first single, "Pon de Replay," in 2005.
Jonathan Hay was quoted on "Becoming Beyoncé". "I was working for Vada Nobles, who wrote and produced Rihanna's single 'Pon de Replay,'" "It was my piece of work to make sure the singer will hit . . . In a vigorous attempt to generate some interest . . . I started to plant . . . stories that Jay Z and Rihanna were having a hot romance."
Rihanna's team claimed that the New York Daily News erroneously made a report that Jonathan Hay was "Rihanna's ex-publicist" before bringing up to date its story on Tuesday. While other outlets have also called Jonathan Hay as "Rihanna's former publicist."
Jonathan Hay stated that, "I wasn't the publicist of Rihanna, I was the publicist for Rihanna's first single. The singer didn't have a publicist . . . It was back in the day, when Rihanna was nobody."
Sitting down with DX in order to clear up the issue, Hay stated "In 2005 the rumor was just a pitch and a rumor to try and get people talking about Rihanna. It was never intended to be a big ordeal, it was just intended to get people asking, 'Who's Rihanna?' It was just gossip."
He then adds, "I never imagined 10 years later that it would be added to a Beyoncé book that is going to be a New York Times Bestseller. It was never meant to be malicious."
When asked if he thinks this will affect his career in Tidal, a company lead by Jay-Z, Hay says "I hope it doesn't affect anything with Tidal or Roc Nation. Both companies have been great to me in my early producing career. Everybody knew about the ten-year-old publicity stunt before I was even with Tidal, so this is nothing new."
Right now Hay is focusing on working with TIDAL as a rising artist/producer and his project which is coming out through TIDAL.
