“𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄 𝐀 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋” Solange breaks silence as her son Julez steps out as an LGBTQ+ club host—but the internet hasn’t forgotten his past. | HO’

“𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄 𝐀 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋” Solange breaks silence as her son Julez steps out as an LGBTQ+ club host—but the internet hasn’t forgotten his past. | HO’

The Knowles-Carter family has always commanded attention, but the spotlight has now turned to its youngest member. Julez Smith, the 21-year-old son of Solange Knowles, has stepped into the public eye with an announcement that has social media buzzing—he will be hosting his first LGBTQ nightclub event in Atlanta.

For years, rumors have swirled about Julez’s sexuality. He denied them, once telling a fan on Instagram Live, “Why are people saying I’m gay? I’m not gay.” But now, with his latest venture and a quiet shift in public presentation, many are revisiting those old speculations.

And his mother, Solange, is finally speaking out.

Sources close to the family say Solange is fully supportive of her son, no matter how he identifies. This comes as no surprise to those who have followed her career—she has long been an outspoken ally of the LGBTQ community, frequently performing at Pride events and centering queer voices in her artistic work.

“Why do you think that the gays love you?” Solange was once asked in an interview. Her response was immediate and warm. “I think it’s a lot of boys. They just are wild for you. At my shows, about 60 percent of them are gay men. I just feel so at home with them because with that community, I’m able to embrace exactly who I am, and there’s no judgment.”

She added: “Sometimes I meet some of the most expressive people—visually, through the mind, through how they speak—and I just totally feel at home. Like I can do whatever, say whatever, and feel whatever way, and they’ll totally embrace that.”

That same embrace, insiders say, she is now extending to her son.

But the road to this moment has been anything but smooth. Julez has been at the center of a series of controversies over the past five years, and his sexuality has become inextricably tangled with allegations of toxic behavior in his past relationships.

The rumors first gained traction in 2020 when a commenter on Instagram Live accused him of being in a relationship with a male hair stylist. Julez denied it at the time, and the speculation faded.

But last year, the allegations returned with more force. Brazy, a popular Atlanta-based trans influencer, posted alleged DM screenshots claiming Julez had slid into her messages trying to fly her out to meet him. In the messages, he called her “his type” and boasted about his abilities in the bedroom.

Julez did not respond publicly. According to reports, his lawyer sent a cease-and-desist letter to silence the influencer. The DMs did not clarify whether Brazy had disclosed her trans identity before the exchange—a detail that has fueled further speculation.

Now, with his upcoming LGBTQ nightclub hosting gig, many are revisiting that incident and others. But it is not just his sexuality drawing scrutiny. It is his past treatment of women—behavior that some psychologists say can sometimes be a mask for closeted men struggling with their identity.

In 2021, Julez was at the center of a scandal that rocked the internet. He leaked an intimate video of himself and actress Skai Jackson to a group chat that included her friends. The video was later removed, but clips still circulate. In the recording, Julez can be heard in the background while Skai covers her face.

Leaked messages from the group chat revealed Julez boasting about the encounter. “I effed her good and got her addicted and then left her,” he allegedly wrote. When asked why he broke up with her, he responded: “She cheated.” When a friend noted Skai was complaining about him publicly, he added: “Cuz I made sure to ruin her life.”

Skai’s family threatened legal action, arguing the leak constituted revenge porn. According to screenshots, Julez’s response was chilling. “My aunt is Beyoncé,” he allegedly said. “You really think I’m going to get sued? Take your next guess, effing idiot. I don’t care anymore. I still gave that dark bee some D.”

The Instagram account The Vault later claimed Julez had tried to get them to leak the video months earlier, but they declined because he was still a minor at the time and Skai was just 18—meaning the footage would have qualified as child pornography.

Just days after the Skai Jackson leak, another explicit video of Julez surfaced, reigniting the firestorm.

But the scandals did not end there. Julez also came under fire when news broke that he had allegedly gotten his then-girlfriend, a young woman named Adore, pregnant and then pressured her to terminate the pregnancy. Screenshots of their conversations showed them discussing having children together. “I can’t wait for us to have a kid,” she wrote. Julez replied: “I want one so bad, too. Give me like 10 months. You said you’re not taking Plan B though, right?”

When she did become pregnant, sources say he wanted no part of it.

Through all of this, Solange remained publicly silent. But behind closed doors, she has reportedly been a steady presence in her son’s life, supporting him through the chaos.

Now, with Julez stepping into his identity—whatever that identity may be—Solange is standing beside him. And those who know the family say she is determined to protect him, even as the internet tears him apart.

Social media, predictably, has had a field day. “I was more surprised that Julez was with Skai,” one user wrote. “I thought he was gay for a long time.”

Another added: “I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought Julez may have been gay. If he’s not, I’ve been thinking he was.”

But others are more critical, questioning whether his sudden embrace of LGBTQ culture is genuine or just a way to rebrand after years of scandal. “He’s hosting a gay club now?” one commenter asked. “Is he really with the gays, or is he just trying to get that bag?”

Representatives for Solange Knowles, Julez Smith, and the Knowles-Carter family have not responded to requests for comment. But the conversation continues to rage across social media, with fans divided between those who believe Julez is finally living his truth and those who see his past behavior as disqualifying.

What is clear is that the Knowles family is no stranger to navigating public scrutiny. And for Solange, who has spent her entire career carving out space for herself outside the shadow of her more famous sister, this moment is deeply personal.

“I just feel so at home with them,” she once said of her gay fans. Now, that same sentiment may be the one guiding her relationship with her son.

Whether Julez’s hosting gig is a genuine embrace of LGBTQ identity or a calculated rebrand remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: the world is watching. And Solange is watching with him.