Beyoncé lit up the stage during the final stop of her Cowboy Carter stadium tour in Paris over the weekend, shocking fans as she pulled out a cigarette and mimed smoking during her performance.
The bold moment occurred on Sunday as the 42-year-old superstar closed out her third and final show in the City of Lights.
Fan footage quickly made the rounds online, capturing the unexpected moment Beyoncé took a dramatic pause mid-set to hold the cigarette and pretend to puff, adding a smoky layer of theatre to her performance.
While not a real cigarette, the prop was part of the show’s stylised, gritty Americana vibe, which also includes fiery stunts, such as Beyoncé theatrically lighting a piano on fire in past performances.
Still, the moment sparked mixed reactions from fans online, with some calling it “iconic” and others raising concerns over the example it might set, despite the obviously staged nature of the act.
The Texas Hold 'Em hitmaker kept the surprises coming by bringing out husband Jay-Z for a special duet of their hit Crazy in Love, marking the first time the power couple performed together onstage in seven years.