Rihanna's Ex-Publicist Almost Ruined Jay Z + Beyonce's Relationship For A Hit Record

Rihanna's ex-publicists, Jonathan Hay, came clean about concocting the controversial rumor about Jay Z and Rihanna hooking up, which caused a year-long pause in Jay's relationship with Beyoncé. The rumor is explored in detail in a forthcoming, and notably unofficial, biography of Beyoncé entitled Becoming Beyoncè: The Untold Story.

"I apologized to her," Jonathan Hay told the New York Daily News in a statement. "This whole thing is very awkward." The rumor was concocted in order to help RiRi's debut single "Pon de Replay" gain traction. "I was desperate at the time because I wanted to have a hit record," Hay told Inside Edition in a separate statement. "We were young and stupid." Stupid? Yes!

Jay and Bey haven't spoken out on the resurgence of the topic, but Hay is apparently hoping his apology doesn't alter his apparent relationship with Jay's Tidal, where he’s currently hosting his own music. "It was reckless and I didn't think it was going to work," Hay said. "I was just throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what would stick."

Get your life, sir.