Blue Ivy Carter is 12 years old. She has a starring role in Disney’s Mufasa, opening on December 20. Blue plays Kiara, the daughter of Simba and Nala. This is Blue’s first feature role in a film and therefore her first red carpet as an actor. Since the internet is forever, we’re going to keep this mostly about Blue who is, I repeat, 12 years old, turning 13 in January… and wherrreeeeee did the time go?! 

 

Apart from its rarity, this is a relatively standard red carpet appearance in that it happened the way it typically does at a movie premiere. The photographers and other media members gather in place and held behind red ropes, the publicists usher the stars onto the step-and-repeat to pose while photographers shout out their requests, and then a few minutes later, they’re ushered off the carpet and into the theatre. Those photos are then shared by the various photo agencies and media outlets and then posted on sites like this. 

 

I’m talking about this because that’s not been Blue’s usual experience. Beyoncé very rarely walks and poses on a red carpet with everyone else. Most of the time the photos released of her on a red carpet are taken by her own appointed photographer and posted on her own social accounts. She gets the VVVVVVIP treatment – and that’s why the Mufasa red carpet is so remarkable. Because in keeping with the theme of this post, last night was about Blue. And clearly it was about wanting Blue to experience her first carpet in the most traditional sense. Or, well, as traditional as possible considering who her mother is. 

 

Blue wore a liquid gold custom Christian Siriano ballgown – it’s a classic princess cut, a princess dress for a new Disney princess. She arrived on the carpet, posed on her own, and was then joined by Beyoncé. This is the moment that is f-cking me up. 

Because I can’t remember the last time I saw Beyoncé joining into a shot like this, almost tiptoeing into position, like she’s the plus-one. It’s a unicorn event and, of course, it could only happen on this night where Beyoncé was taking a backseat to her firstborn. Taking up less space than her child – even with the shape of her dress, as Blue’s gown occupies all the real estate and Beyoncé matches in black and gold (Balmain) but uses up much less territory. 

 

But that’s not the only unicorn event of the last 12 hours. There’s also this exclusive on Good Morning America today, a Mufasa behind-the-scenes featurette – it’s Blue and Beyoncé…with a Rumi cameo! Who is also so grown! Beyoncé speaking on television, kinda sorta interview style, is an extraordinary occurrence, and she’s allowing it because, of course, this is in support of Blue’s debut. 

It is, after all, Blue’s first interview as a film performer, describing what this part means to her, and how she still can’t believe that she’s in this movie. And then Beyoncé tearing up watching her daughter deliver her lines. It’s impossibly cute and, I can’t stress this enough, impossibly rare. To see Beyoncé like this, in this setting, not as the greatest popstar of the century, but as a mother watching her baby discover her world. And Blue deserves to have it kept as pure as possible. 

 

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