Entertainment
Is Beyoncé Delivering At Lenox Hill?
Beyoncé Knowles announced she was pregnant with twins on Feb. 1, and sometimes it seems like the whole world has been on Bey-by (get it, like baby?) watch ever since. On Saturday, the pop singer and her rapper husband, Jay Z, held a "Carter Push Party" event to celebrate the upcoming arrival of their twins, prompting speculation that she could deliver very soon. Fans and casual observers alike are now wondering: is Beyoncé delivering at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City? That's where she gave birth to her first daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, in January of 2012.
A representative for Lenox Hill's public relations and marketing communications told Romper they could not comment at this time as to whether Beyoncé will be delivering at that location for the impending birth.
But considering the publicity surrounding Blue Ivy's birth there five years ago, it's no wonder that some think Knowles may deliver there for her next birth. The "glamorous, African-themed baby shower," as described by Rolling Stone, that she and Jay Z hosted, certainly has fans of the singer on high alert for the birth of the twins and wondering whether Lenox Hill will be their hospital of choice this time around as well.
When Blue Ivy was born in 2012, the New York Times reported that staff at the hospital "went all-out to protect the privacy of Beyoncé Knowles and Jay-Z." But there was also a lot of controversy over the enhanced security measures as a result of Blue Ivy's birth — and other parents were not exactly thrilled to share space with the celebrity family.
The outlet reported that one father, Edgar Ramirez, 25, said security guards made him stay out of the neonatal unit for three hours when Beyoncé was there to give birth last time, all while his wife and newborn were waiting for him. Security cameras were reportedly covered up, and another mother, Ms. Nash-Coulon, 38, who was there recovering from her C-section, told the publication:
It was just really disgusting...We really believe the hospital is culpable in this because they didn’t let us know what was happening. And the security of our children is at risk when you cover security cameras.
Romper reached out to both Lenox Hill and Beyoncé's public relations representative regarding those allegations, but had not received a response as of publication.
So there is a chance that Lenox Hill might want to avoid that sort of publicity and opt not to admit Knowles there as a patient for the birth — or at least, strongly discourage her and her husband from choosing their facilities. But they may also feel that the publicity of having the celebrity mother there is worth the scrutiny and extra security measures necessary.
The Guardian reported that Beyoncé is about eight months pregnant with her twins, so in any case, it's likely that wherever she decides to give birth, it will happen very soon. The Instagram post in which Beyoncé announced that she was pregnant has countless comments and millions of likes, and any sort of hint at what's going on in the singer's pregnancy that's shared through the social media platform over the past few months has had the Beyhive eager to know more. So if there's any sort of clue there that Lenox Hill will be Knowles' choice for the birth again, it probably won't stay quiet for long.
Ann Silverman, a spokeswoman for Lenox Hill, part of North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, denied to The New York Times back in 2012 that the celebrity couple "had paid more than $1 million to rent and redecorate a wing of the hospital as a private labor and delivery suite" when Blue Ivy was born.
But she reportedly told them that, as is the case at several other New York hospitals, the hospital has “reinstated executive suites,” subject to availability. If Beyoncé and Jay Z did, in fact, choose a private suite for their first daughter's birth at Lenox Hill, could they choose to do the same for their twins?
In the end, it's not really anyone's business where Beyoncé chooses to give birth. She and her husband can share as much or as little as they want about the event when it happens. But like anything involving Queen Bey, any news of the birth likely won't stay hushed up for too long — including their choice of hospital to deliver the twins.