Beyoncé’s new activewear brand, Ivy Park, isn’t even out yet and the shade is already as thick as the singer. Apparently, yoga pants maker Lululemon is not okay with Bey dipping her entrepreneurial toe into their territory.
A Lululemon intern unfamiliar with the official social media rule that states: “No shading Beyoncé. Ever,” made the mistake of accusing Beyoncé of ripping-off Lululemon’s overpriced workout pieces.
“They do say imitation is the best form of flattery,” tweeted Lululemon, adding, “maybe Beyoncé is so ‘Crazy in Love” with our brand, she made her own.”
Bad move as the Bey Hive was already swarming Twitter to express excitement over Ivy Park’s April 14 launch and release of its first commercial. Meaning they were already in formation to attack any Negative Nancys badmouthing Queen Bey. As a result, Lululemon deleted the tweet as quickly as it went up, with the company reassuring Beyoncé’s notoriously overzealous fans that they’re big fans of the superstar.
@RadiantTiffani Hey now, you won't find us six feet under. We love a little competition, especially with the Queen B.
— lululemon (@lululemon) March 31, 2016
@OhhhHaiOlivia We're not throwing punches. Everyone needs a little healthy competition.
— lululemon (@lululemon) March 31, 2016
@sailorpandaxo No harm meant, we're big fans.
— lululemon (@lululemon) March 31, 2016
@GoBrooklyn @lknmre Thanks for the call out, we didn’t mean any harm. We’re huge fans.
— lululemon (@lululemon) March 31, 2016
@xoBeyHivexo @GoodGuySly No harm meant- we've got nothing but love.
— lululemon (@lululemon) March 31, 2016
This isn’t the first time Beyoncé has been accused of being “inspired.” Last summer, the “Formation” singer was sued for $7 million by a background singer who claimed she stole “XO.” Prior to that, Beyoncé was named in a lawsuit accusing “Drunk in Love” producer Timbaland of illegally sampling an obscure Hungarian song. And it’s not just songs. Beyoncé has been accused of plagiarizing many of her music videos without giving proper credit.