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Destiny's child, indeed! Fans worldwide were floored -- and thrilled -- when Beyonce unexpectedly announced her pregnancy at Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards in L.A. Clad in a loose, red Lanvin gown, the singer, 29, first rubbed her belly and told photographers the big news outside the show venue; her rep then confirmed it to Us Weekly. Later, after a joyous onstage performance of "Love on Top," Beyonce unbuttoned her sequined D&G jacket and playfully rubbed her tiny bump once again. In the audience, dad-to-be Jay-Z (her hubby of three years) beamed as pal Kanye West congratulated him. "She's close to four months along," an insider close to the music supercouple tells Us of the normally private star. "She wasn't going to announce it but she is so excited she couldn't hold it in." And the first-time dad Jay-Z (real name: Shawn Carter), 41, is just as pumped. "Jay is ecstatic and over the moon," the insider says. "He really wanted this so badly." So far, the Grammy-winning duo haven't found out the gender of their first child -- and are keeping other details close to the vest. "They barely told anyone...They kept it really secret until they were sure," the pal explains, "and now she simply couldn't wait to tell the world!" The baby news does complicate their professional lives, though -- shooting for Beyonce's high-profile film project A Star Is Born has been delayed, while Jay-Z has a big-time tour to deal with. "They will have to make adjustments," admits the source, "but this is worth it!"

Beyonce is pregnant with her first child, and RadarOnline.com has exclusively learned she’s due in February! The Crazy in Love singer and her hip hop husband Jay-Z let the world know they were expecting Sunday night at the MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angles when Beyonce opened up her performance by saying, “I want you to feel the love that’s growing inside of me!” and ended by rubbing her belly. “Beyonce is about three months along and is due in February,” a source close to the situation told RadarOnline.com. “She and Jay are absolutely over-joyed...her whole family is really excited.” According to the source, the couple is hoping for a boy. Beyonce’s sister, Solange Knowles, has a six-year-old son named Daniel Julez Smith Jr. with her ex-husband, Daniel Smith, and the insider told RadarOnline.com the family is excited for Julez to have a playmate. “Of course having a little boy for Julez to play with would be ideal, so they have their fingers crossed,” the source said. “But both Beyonce and Jay are just so happy to be having a baby, they don’t care what it is!”

Another year, another unbelievably action-packed Video Music Awards. As expected, viewers were treated to mind-blowing performances and several jaw-dropping surprises. The most unexpected moment came courtesy of Beyoncé Knowles, who not so subtly announced to the world that she and husband Jay-Z are expecting their first child. When B unbuttoned her sparkly jacket and rubbed her belly with a knowing smile, after which the camera panned to a visibly elated Jay-Z and Kanye West cheering from the audience, the Nokia Theatre was bursting with warm and fuzzy well-wishes for the soon-to-be parents. And that very public moment of celebration was just the beginning. When Beyoncé returned backstage to her dressing room, she was greeted by a team of people who enveloped the visibly happy star with hugs, cheers and congratulations. "I'm free!" she said to one of the well-wishers, indicating that she and Jay are thrilled to not have to keep such a big secret any longer. "We're all free!" she said to the group. A few minutes after her arrival backstage, she was joined by her husband, a very excited West (whose first words upon entering the dressing-room area were "Where is Beyoncé?" as if he could not wait to give B a huge hug) and her former Destiny's Child ladies, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Even with the doors to their dressing rooms closed, the applause and whoops of joy could be heard everywhere backstage. "That was an eventful night, to say the least," Jay, still smiling, said to some of the revelers in the hallway, who continued to shower him with congratulations and hugs.

Leave it to Beyoncé to steal the spotlight at Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards. But it wasn't one of the pop diva's signature show-stopping performances that had people talking. Instead, it was Beyoncé's burgeoning baby bump, swathed in an orange gown. Beyoncé, 29, posed for photos with her hands cradling her belly, teasing, "I have a surprise!" "I'm happy to say it's true," her rep confirms to PEOPLE. Later, during the show, she performed "Love on Top," introducing the song by telling the Nokia Theatre LA Live crowd, "I want you to stand up on your feet. I want you to feel the love that's growing inside me." After her song, she unbuttoned her sparkling jacket and rubbed her stomach. The crowd roared. "They told friends in the last month," a source tells PEOPLE. "She's never been happier. Seriously it's all she's been waiting for. And Jay is like an excited kid. They're adorable." This will be the first child for Beyoncé and her husband of three years, 41-year-old Jay-Z, who performed "Otis" at the VMAs with Kanye West. Just in June, Knowles, who turns 30 on Sept. 4, told Piers Morgan, "I always said I would have a baby at 30." Looks like the talented singer is true to her word!

Even before Beyonce Knowles enters the imperial suite at the Ritz in Paris for her final shot, there are epic overtones to the scene: the mishmash of Louis XIV opulence and Napoleonic swagger adorned with sphinxes, griffons and winged chimeras under a ceiling six metres high. But when she finally makes her entrance, over six feet tall in Louboutins and Gucci, far from being dwarfed by such a grandeur, Beyoncé looks terrifying. She sashays towards the balcony, pausing at a mirror to stare unflinchingly at what she sees; she steps out onto the balcony, revealing herself to the awe-struck people in the Place Venedome below. One arm punches the sky in a Delacroix's liberty leading the people mode (one of the dance moves from her single 'Run The World (Girls)', from four her fourth album), as if inciting all her female fans to world domination. A signal met with both impassioned wails - 'Bey-on-say on vous adore!' 'Bey-on-say: s'il vous plait!' - and courteous applause. For a moment she holds her iconic statue pose, then tumbles giggling back into the room, tugging at her heels. 'Oh my gosh' she exclaims as she pulls them off. 'They're so polite in Paris'. The 'iconic' circles the global phenomenon that is Beyonce Knowles: the most successful US artist of the Noughties (since going solo in 2003) and one of the best selling female artists of all time. Singer, songwriter, producer, actress philanthropist, multi-tasking being; she is less performer that quasi-religious force, named by Forbes this year as one of the worlds 10 most powerful women; and she only just now turning 30. 'This is such a pivotal moment in my life,' she tells me excitedly when we adjourn to another elaborate room of the Ritz, this one is a replica of Marie Antoinette's bedroom in Versailles. 'I'm transitioning as a woman, and I'm finally able to express myself as I am'.

The reigning power couple of hip-hop are invited to the future top couple of reality TV’s wedding. Beyonce and Jay-Z have scored invites to Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries’ wedding set to take place August 20 in Montecito, California. It’s no surprise Queen B was invited, the reality starlet is a known admirer of the “4” singer. Just last month she stated that B and her beautiful curves motivate her to work out. Other celebrity couples invited to the reality stars’ big day, Will and Jada Pinkett Smitt, and Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez. Kim’s idol Jennifer Lopez, Ryan Seacrest, Eva Longoria, and rumored ex beau Kanye West are also on the list. According to a source from RadarOnline, the wedding is set to be as impressive as the guest list. It's going to be a really big and plush wedding, the source stated, "Kim wouldn't have it any other way!"

R&B's fierce first lady Beyonce tells us all the little things that she's crazy in love with...

The city: New York
'I never thought I would live there because I found it so overwhelming, but now it's home.'

The style: Kate Moss
'She's always been a trendsetter and so edgy. You never look back at her, even ten or 15 years ago, and think, "what was that?"'

The fashion: Topshop
'My favourite London shop. There's one in New York but I was mad at first because I didn't want anyone else to go there!'

The movie: A Star Is Born
'My mother would put it on for me when I was young, so it's an honour to be in the remake with Clint Eastwood.'

The music: Adele's 21
'I love Someone Like You'. Adele is such a nice woman, and she has one of the best voices of our time.'

Beyonce Knowles has splashed out on 25 pairs of designer shoes for her sister's 25th birthday. The 'Run The World (Girls)' hitmaker - who closed the Glastonbury Festival in England last night (26.06.11) - arranged for the huge haul of luxury shoes to be collected from department stores Saks and Bergdorf in New York and delivered to her younger sibling Solange on her special day on Friday (24.06.11), according to the New York Post newspaper. Solange celebrated her birthday with 20 friends at the Lavo (Palazzo) restaurant and nightclub in Las Vegas where the group enjoyed dinner before the singer-and-model was presented with a cake in the club.

Beyonce Knowles, 29, is one of the world's top female singing stars with worldwide sales of more than 80million records. She hit the big-time with her group, Destiny's Child, then as a solo artist. She has starred in hit films such as Austin Powers In Goldmember, The Pink Panther and Dreamgirls and has donated millions to charitable causes, including Haiti's earthquake victims and widows of New York police and fire services after 9/11. Beyonce, who married rapper Jay-Z in 2008, releases her fourth studio album, simply called 4, on Monday, June 27 after headlining at Glastonbury the day before. Here, she talks to Garth Pearce about what her mother taught her. 'My mum, Tina, taught me honesty. As a result, I tell the truth. If I can't tell the truth for some reason or other, then I don't say anything. She also taught me, by example,the value of hard work. She worked in a bank and saved enough money to open her own hair salon called Headliners. Very early on, she was telling me to be who I wanted to be. So I wanted to be a hair stylist for a while. Then a dance teacher. When I was seven, I performed on stage for the first time and fell in love with the feeling. I was awkward around other kids, but felt comfortable on stage. I said to my mum: "There is no way this will work but I am going to be a singer." I was in a group, aged nine, and my dad, Mathew, left his job to manage us. He's done a great job - but it was difficult then. We lost money. We had to sell our house and move into a small place and my mum supported the whole family. I was a kid but they argued a lot and, at one point, separated. It was hurtful to know they had such stress. But my mum did not keep anything from us and she was as honest with me as she expected me to be with her. She made me understand who I am and what I want, while giving us all unconditional love. She also taught me to be forgiving. My mum had kept all her clothes from the Sixties but when I was about six I started playing with matches. I managed to burn down one of the rooms in the house with all those clothes. She was more concerned for my safety than the room or the possessions.

Beyonce Knowles often argues with her mother. The ‘Halo’ hitmaker – who recently fired her father Mathew Knowles as her manager – loves working with Tina Knowles on their House of Dereon clothing line but the singer admits she and her stylist parent don't always see eye-to-eye. She said: “It does get difficult sometimes. My mother and I work so well together and we agree. Well 99 per cent of the time. And the one per cent? We’re human. And sometimes we go back and forth but it never lasts. “ Despite their occasional disagreements, Beyonce – who is married to Jay-Z - is pleased she can leave her business in the hands of her mother. She added in an interview with more! magazine: “I’m lucky because I can leave and I know everything’s going to be fine and great because my mother’s there taking care of everything.” After firing her father in March, Beyonce paid tribute to the role he and her mother played in her success. She said: “I am grateful for everything he has taught me. I grew up watching both he and my mother manage me and own their own businesses. They are hard working entrepreneurs and I will continue to follow in their footsteps. “He is my father for life and I love my dad dearly. I am grateful for everything he has taught me.”

Reggae superstar Sean Paul won't be feuding with Jay-Z, at least for now. Paul is denying reports that he has plans to release a book detailing an alleged relationship with Hov's wife, R&B singer Beyoncé. The book -- a chronicle of his life growing up in middle-class Jamaica -- is rumored to expose the tryst that occurred while the 'I Am... Sasha Fierce' creator was taking a break from her relationship with Jay. News about the book surfaced on the Internet earlier this week and the Grammy Award-winning reggae singer took to Twitter to refute the claims. "RRR!!! THIS IS THE TWEETINATOR!!! RRR!!! SP SAY HE DON'T WRITE BOOKS. HE WRITE SONGS!!! RRR!!! " he wrote. A rep for Sean Paul also told Radar Online the rumors were not true. "The reports are completely false," the rep said. "Sean is not working on a book and has never had anything more than a working relationship with Beyoncé." The business relationship the rep speaks of occurred in 2003, when the two collaborated on the Destiny's Child frontwoman's hit song 'Baby Boy.'

Beyonce admits, it takes commitment to maintain a healthy body and a healthy self-image. "I love my butter pecan ice cream," she says, "but I also love to work out. We all have our issues. Mine is arms and legs, keeping them tight and toned. It takes work, believe me." "My attitude is, there is always room for growth," Beyoncé says. "I feel more comfortable about expressing myself." As for her future and life with Jay-Z, "Yes, I do want to embrace what happens next and family," she says. "It's funny how your outlook changes as you get older, how you look at life – at other women – in a different way." "I have so much admiration for women who are mothers," she says, "who balance family and work."

Beyonce Knowles wears "sexy stilettos and a beautiful dress" when she wants to seduce her husband Jay-Z. The pop megastar knows exactly how to turn on the rapper and she also likes to make an effort to make herself feel attractive. In an interview with the new edition of Cosmopolitan magazine, she said: "You should put on good music and something that makes you feel great. I love a pair of high, sexy stilettos with a beautiful dress, but you have to find out what works for you - whether it's doing the whole smoky eyes thing or a natural look. And never be predictable. Mix it up, surprise him, change your hair - be the woman he knows with a little bit of a twist." Although the 'Crazy in Love' singer dresses up for romantic evenings with Jay-Z, Beyonce insists the sexiest thing about any woman is if she has confidence. The 29-year-old beauty is adamant that if you feel happy in your own skin then men will pick up on the vibe. She said: "The most alluring thing a woman can have is confidence. You can be beautiful but if you're not secure in yourself, you don't come across as sexy. You have to feel good about yourself to make others feel good about you. Don't focus on the bits you don't like. Look at yourself in a different way and work out what it is you do like."

Did you have a part in Gwyneth’s outfit?
Gwyneth Paltrow’s stylist reached out to me, and I let her know what we were doing. I also sent her stylist a photo. I originally thought she was going to be wearing something different because we came up with a color for her to wear. Originally it was going to be a crimson red jumpsuit. Looking back, I liked that she ended up wearing black. It worked well with what we were doing. I thought she looked absolutely gorgeous. And the shoes. Ow! I saw the rehearsal, and she handled it like a pro. The coolest thing was being backstage. Beyonce watched it with us. She was so excited for her friend . It was the cutest thing ever. It was so one of the moments when you’re like, “Aw BFF love!” Beyonce was so happy for her. She gave her a big hug, and we all had a moment. It was one of those backstage moments that you’ll always remember.

MediaTakeOut has yet another “BLOCKBUSTER news” exclusive, and this one’s a real doozy. Our favorite rumor mill announces that Jay-Z and Beyonce are taking a “trial separation.” The suspect site’s so-called “snitch” claims the couple “has been at odds for the last year,” with the biggest alleged conflict being Jay-Z’s desire to have kids and Beyonce’s reluctance. “For now going to be staying in LA. Beyonce will be in NY… The hope is that with the time apart, the couple will decide to either have kids, or go their separate ways,” explains the MTO “insider.” Meanwhile, the site hopes “Jigga changes his mind and works things out with wifey,” because “the staff here at MediaTakeOut.com are HUGE fans” of the couple. If only they were HUGE fans of accuracy. A source close to Jay-Z tells Gossip Cop the report is “b.s.” Sounds a lot like MTO’s countless other misfires about the couple. We’d have an easier time believing the “separation” story if it didn’t come from the same site that keeps insisting Beyonce is pregnant and Jay-Z was hooking up with Gwyneth Paltrow.

During the BET Awards in 2003 I witnessed the makings of a real relationship between two overly focused individuals willing to sacrifice and make time for each other in the midst of accomplishing their personalized greatness. I was the personal assistant to Beyonce while she prepared for the debut of her new single Deja Vu. I can recall having the song on repeat throughout the duration of my flight from Chicago to LA and feeling captivated by the 808's and horns. There was something about the song that made me feel as if I were being transported to another place all in the name of love. Like most people, I soon realized that the passion hidden behind Beyonce's vocals was fueled by her devotion and love for none other than Jay Z. I sat there in amazement as I watched Beyonce go over every step as if her life depended on it. I'd heard all the stories and rumors that she was evil and possibly the daughter of Satan but none of that surfaced. A prime example of her down-t-earth-ness was displayed when she happened to be thirsty and it was my job to get her some water but she chose to go with me in order to ease her mind. She was sweet and reminded me of that home girl we all have that no matter what she just wants to laugh at the end of the day. Everything was going well until Beyonce was informed that Jay Z missed his flight and wouldn't be able to make it to the show and perform. Her face went sour as she took a moment to squat on the floor and pout. She wasn't sad about him not doing his verse but the fact that she wouldn't see him as soon as she'd planned. She couldn't help but mumble to her mother that she missed him. She forced herself not to cry. Stood up and yelled from the top of her lungs.... "let's take it from the top." The passion and determination in her voice echoed throughout the empty theater as she stood on top of a short ladder that served as her entrance wagon.