Rihanna did not have an affair with Jay Z, her publicist has admitted

RIHANNA’s former publicist has apologised for starting gossip concerning the R & B star’s alleged relationship with her married label boss Jay Z.

Jonathan Hay has allegedly told the New York Daily News the rumours were started by him from despair to get press for Rihanna’s single Pon de Replay.

His apology comes a day after biographer J Randy Taraborrelli was convinced the rumor was fiction, and told news show Entertainment Tonight he’d researched the alleged romance thoroughly while composing his new novel Becoming Beyonce: The Untold Story.

The writer told ET he’d detected Rihanna’s publicist was behind the rumor, and on Friday, Hay revealed he was the man supporting the narrative.

Telling the Daily News he had already apologised to Jay Z’s wife Beyonce, he said, “I was blindsided by the news of Becoming Beyonce coming out and it couldn’t come at a worse time for me. I’m currently releasing projects with my label, Urban Hitchcock, through Tidal, a company that is owned by Jay Z and Beyonce … Hopefully this news hasn’t ruined that relationship for me.

“The PR stunt that I did was out of desperation to help break Pon de Replay. It was reckless and I didn’t think it was going to work. I was just throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what would stick.” “I didn’t think it would be this big story,” Hay added, “but seeing Beyonce on the cover of this book and knowing that people are profiting from speculations and opinions about her really turns my stomach. I’m ashamed that I’m even talking about this. I just want to put this rumour to rest once and for all.”