Beyonce & Jay-Z dressed up like Olympians Flo Jo & John Carlos for Halloween

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attend the first Global Ministerial Mental Health Summit

Beyonce cracks me up. While many people probably organized their Black Panther costumes months ago, Beyonce was like “nah, too obvious.” She probably also thought “why would I dress up like a Black Panther character when I’m already the Queen of Everything?” So she thought about it long and hard, and decided to do two different costumes. The first costume was Phoni Braxton, a take on Toni Braxton. Then Beyonce and Jay-Z did a couples-costume as two famous and historical African-American Olympians: Flo Jo and John Carlos.

For the kids who don’t know, Flo Jo is the late Florence Griffith–Joyner, a track Olympian who won three gold medals and two silver medals in her career. She was known for her flamboyant track outfits, her long nails, her passion and her general awesomeness. John Carlos, 73, was one of the track Olympians – along with Tommie Smith – who raised his fist in a Black Power salute on the medal stand at the 1968 Olympics. Both John Carlos and Flo Jo are considered to be powerful symbols of the civil rights movement.

Now, Beyonce went about these costumes in the most Mom Way possible. I honestly think it’s hilarious that she actually posed for the iconic Flo Jo-kneeling-prayer photo and then Photoshopped it to look like she was actually on a track. She’s so earnest, y’all. I love her.

Photos courtesy of Beyonce’s Instagram.

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30 Responses to “Beyonce & Jay-Z dressed up like Olympians Flo Jo & John Carlos for Halloween”

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  1. Steff says:

    Bey needs to rock black hair for a change. Love this and the Toni look.

    • Yup, Me says:

      I agree, she looks great in both costumes. Something about them seems a little sad, though, to me. She’s in her massive house, dressing up in crazy accurate gear and taking pictures and photoshopping them, but she can’t really go out trick or treating or to a party with mych ease, so she has to stay home in her guilded cage.

      • Mo’ Comments Mo’ Problems says:

        @Yup, Me: you should check out Tina Knowles Lawson’s Instagram—Bey and Jay were partying with friends. In fact, they party every Halloween with friends. 🙂

  2. cherry says:

    It’s cool. Still, photoshopping her thighs on that middle photo was not necessary.

    • DP says:

      I agree. Love B. I just wish she wouldn’t photoshop her thighs or any body part.
      She’s so strong and beautiful The way she is.

    • Rhys says:

      Yes,I noticed it too and right away. Why do it? She is beautiful and she is a woman with curves. Nothing is wrong with that.

    • JayneBirkinB says:

      also noticed this, somehow we need to make the thigh gap no longer a “thing”. It’s not healthy, and it denigrates women who develop muscular quadriceps.

  3. Reef says:

    Awww, RIP Flo Jo. This was great. She got the baby hairs right. I expanded this pic so fast for the nails.

  4. HelloSunshine says:

    My hometown has a park dedicated to FloJo and I went to school with her daughter. Extremely nice family, I’m happy to see Bey bringing FloJo some love! Also love that she didn’t do a Black Panther costume. I love the movie but I figured there would be quite a few celebs dressing up as BP characters this year.

  5. Renee2 says:

    Her nails aren’t long enough.

    • Mo’ Comments Mo’ Problems says:

      @RENee2: she had another photo on the gram with the iconic long nails 🙂

  6. lucy2 says:

    That’s not all she photoshopped…where did her thighs go? She is gorgeous and in amazing shape, there is no need for that nonsense.
    I loved Flo Jo as a kid, and was fascinated by her nails.

  7. Harryg says:

    Next year I’ll dress up as Beyonce’s Thigh Gap!

  8. T says:

    It makes me sad that Beyonce, who is beyond beautiful and other wordly talented, feels the need to photoshop her body to this extent.

  9. Renee2 says:

    I don’t be think that Beyonce is photoshopping a thigh-gap. She and her sister both have bow-legs, she poses so that there is space between her legs, and she usually wears tights that hold her legs in. Even photos that are taken by other news outlets show her with space between her legs. I don’t think that she has that much power that she can command outlets like the Getty to place a thigh-gap in images of her.

    • Susan says:

      She did it herself before she posted her picture on Instagram. It has nothing to do with “Getty” These are pictures she herself had done and put on the internet herself. I just think it is sad that she feels the need to do this.

    • Raven says:

      The top picture of her and Jay Z there is no thigh gap and in a picture where she’s by herself standing up there’s a thigh gap and the photo has been photoshopped. She’s done it before with her Instagram pictures i don’t why she did it, but she has.

      • Sigh... says:

        Great FloJo (RIP) but her “natural” thigh is noticeably smaller (beyond natural assymetry) than the “purple” one in the last pic…

    • Yes Doubtful says:

      I agree, it’s the pose. In the last picture, she’s arching her back so her rear is higher which gives the illusion of a gap. Plus she has the gap when she’s at a smaller weight. Watch her Grammy performance of Drunk in Love. She can’t Photoshop that!

  10. Ann says:

    I love their love for retro!

  11. clairej says:

    Flo Jo was amazing to watch, but I thought it was well known she was enhancement drug user.

  12. Mo’ Comments Mo’ Problems says:

    Tbh it was great to see them do this and show another side of black history. They seem to be dedicated to this.

  13. Shelley says:

    When seeing just a close-up of Beyonce-as-Flo-Jo’s face in the Header of the article, I looked and thought, “Oh Wow! SHAKIRA looks good with that brunette hair.” For real! And the look is GOOD! Maybe something to consider in the future, Beyonce???

  14. Jamila says:

    Jay-Z is dressed as Tommie Smith not John Carlos. Tommie Smith wore number 307. John Carlos wore number 25. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommie_Smith

  15. Jane says:

    Don’t love the photo where she replaced John Carlos in the iconic medal ceremony photo with Jay. Just feels off to me, like instead of celebrating the man and his bravery they’re just using his image to make a favourable comparison.

    • JayneBirkinB says:

      I think it’s cool when kids dress up as real life heroes: Harriet Tubman, Abraham Lincoln, and John Carlos and Tommie Smith. I don’t see self-indulgement at all.