Did Beyoncé Hide Blue Ivy's Birth?

One of today's most popular singers, with arguably the most rabid fans, also happens to be one of the most private stars. She doesn't tweet, she rarely grants interviews, and it's pretty unlikely that she'll film her twins' birth for a reality show. But will she at least announce the birth? We can look to history for answers, because if Beyoncé hid Blue Ivy's birth, it's likely that she'd do it again. Unfortunately, the singer and husband Jay Z did not bother to call TMZ on the way to Lenox Hill Hospital back in 2012, but if history repeats itself, their loose-lipped friends will spread the word soon enough.

Blue Ivy was born on Saturday, Jan. 7, and just after midnight on Sunday, E! News broke the story, citing multiple sources it characterized as "pals" of Jay Z. The network also published Blue Ivy's name. Within half an hour, celebrity well-wishers such as Rihanna and Russell Simmons were tweeting their congratulations, and on Monday, the couple released a joint statement to People confirming the name and date (while also dispelling a rumor included in the E! News report that Blue Ivy was delivered via C-section). Yes, it was two whole days after the birth, but for Beyoncé, that's actually very quick.

Other than one entire album/HBO special that some allege, without evidence, is about Jay Z cheating (the couple has never responded to the rumors or Romper's request for comment regarding them), Beyoncé does not share her business with the public. According to a Cosmopolitan timeline of their relationship, nobody knows when they met, and they refused for years to confirm that they were dating, even after releasing a duet about how they were in love. In a similar breakdown, People noted that the couple didn't confirm their 2008 marriage until four months after the fact. Beyoncé's first pregnancy announcement occurred about five months in, and consisted solely of some pointed belly-rubs at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2011.

Beyoncé's second pregnancy announcement came in the form of a highly styled Instagram post on Feb. 1. The caption didn't mention a due date, but the singer did write that she was expecting twins. Her stomach appeared to be about the same size at it was when she announced that Blue Ivy was on the way, but second pregnancies and multiples tend to show sooner, so it's not really a reliable indicator of how far along she was. She could be due June 1, August 1, really any time. The best intel fans have right now is that her father, Matthew Knowles, told TMZ on May 19 that she was due "more than two weeks from now," which would indicate a date of June 3 or later. The best bet for those who want to hear the news first might just be to watch Rihanna's Twitter feed.