You might've stumbled upon posts on TikTok of people and celebrities thanking Beyoncé during their award speeches or other memorable moments of their lives. This innocent and wholesome hommage by notable figures like Adele, Lizzo and others has been repurposed as a sinister and creepy action after the singer and Jay-Z's names suddenly centered in a conspiracy theory of their alleged involvement in P. Diddy's "freak offs" parties, spawning the She Knows meme.

This isn't the first time the internet has created absurd stories involving the singer, as theories have been pouring since 2017 about her involvement with the_"Illuminati":https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/beyonces-illuminati-sign_. So, why are people thanking the music icon after sneezing, eating something delicious or doing random tasks?

@saifshawaf Thank you Beyoncé! #makemescared ♬ original sound – SAIF SHAWAF

Here's what we know about the Thank You, Beyoncé conspiracy theory.

What's The 'Thank You, Beyoncé' Meme?

The "Thank You, Beyoncé" theory started when social media users noticed an unusual recurrence of celebrities thanking the singer in their acceptance speech after winning major awards. Adele was the first viral instance of this trend, back in February 2017 when she won Album of the Year at the Grammys, and, during her emotional speech, she attributed Beyoncé as a major inspiration, describing her as the “artist of my life.”

A few years later, in February 2023, American rapper and singer Lizzo, who was competing against Beyoncé in the Record of the Year category, decided to thank the singer during her speech, reflecting on her first Destiny’s Child concert and how she was enamored by Beyonce’s vocals.

Memetic content related to the "Thank You, Beyoncé" began in early October 2024, when TikTok users linked these previous celebrity interactions with the She Knows conspiracy theory, which revolves around posting memes and jokes painting Beyoncé as a villain, posting videos and photos of other singers with the captions "the fear in her eyes" and "she just wanted to survive."

On October 4th, 2024, TikTok user @igotstinkyfeet posted one of the earliest "Thank you, Beyoncé" skits, making an acceptance speech every time he achieved something and especially thanking the singer as if he's being threatened by her.

@igotstinkyfeet I owe my life to Beyoncé 🙏 #fyp #foryoupage #viral #funny #foryou ♬ original sound – Isaak Bacha

How Is 'Thank You, Beyoncé' Used In Memes?

As the meme grew popular on the internet in October 2024, people were getting in on the joke in two particular manners. The first is the lighthearted version of thanking her for random daily occurrences – like successfully eating dinner, cleaning your unread emails or an easy task. For instance, TikTok user @mauriaellen posted a video thanking the singer after sneezing.

@mauriaellen queen BEY #sheknows #beyonce ♬ original sound – cunty everteen

The second iteration of the meme goes more in a creepypasta territory, creating a lore that if you forget to thank Beyoncé this could supposedly curse you. For example, TikTok user @chefpierce uploaded a skit video showing what happens when a class of students forgot to thank the singer.

@chefpierce I been seeing the memes so I said lemme hop on the wave. 😈 BUT NA WE ONTO YOU SHAWD. If I ever vanish mane y’all know who did it. (they don’t care about me but just incase mane) #fyp ♬ original sound – ChefPierce 👨🏾‍🍳

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For the full history of the Thank You, Beyoncé meme, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.