Ali Krieger Is in Her “Beyoncé Lemonade Era” and the Fans Are Here For It
After news broke of Ashlyn Harris and Sophia Bush being an actual item mere moments after we’d all been asked to collectively process news of Ashlyn and Ali Krieger’s divorce, many wondered “How does Ali Krieger feel about having to see Ashlyn with someone new so soon after their breakup? Did Ashlyn’s relationship with Sophia Bush overlap with her marriage? Did it play a role in their breakup?” More specifically… did Ashlyn Harris cheat on Ali Krieger?
Well, pals, the potential answers to some of those questions were answered today in an oblique and not entirely clear but nevertheless possibly definitive manner when Ali Krieger posted a photograph of herself excelling at the game of soccer, as she so often does, with the caption “Preparing for playoffs while in my Beyoncé lemonade era.” This is interpreted as a nod to the “Lemonade” album in which Beyoncé commented on Jay-Z’s infidelity through the power of song.
I consulted with Autostraddle’s resident Beyoncé Scholar, Editor-in-Chief Carmen Phillips, for how she would define a “Beyoncé lemonade era.” I submit to you below the empirical definition going forward, from Carmen herself:
“What is most interesting about one’s “Lemonade era” is that it instantly invokes a singular image: Beyoncé, in a bright yellow dress, smiling while swinging a baseball bat and gleefully smashing a car window. While she never says that this car belongs to Jay-Z, it’s impossible to separate from a line that comes later in the music film — one of “Becky with the good hair.”
When you are in your Lemonade era, you were jilted, disrespected, and most concretely? You were cheated on.”
There you have it.
Which Soccer Players Are Implicitly On Team Ali?
The post earned affirmative responses such as “Let’s go queen!” and “Now Alexandra 💀” and “Slaying!” and “the world is yours” from soccer players including Midge Purce, Crystal Dunn, Sophia Smith, Steph Catley, Jess Fishlock, Maitane Lopez Millan, Kaylyn Kyle Heath, Maddie Pogarch, Christen Westphal, Chioma Ubogagu, Bella Bixby, Ellie Jean, Bianca Serra and Cheyna Matthews. Most notably, the legendary forward Alex Morgan popped in:
I can’t speak for Alex but I certainly can speak for myself, with respect to comments that did not disappoint me personally. Let’s start with Alex’s gay brother Kyle, who has been pretty vocal for some time now about this divorce!
Ali’s team (which is also Ashlyn’s former team), Gotham FC, also weighed in:
As did some funny fans:
Was There Infidelity In Ali and Ashlyn’s Marriage?
According to problematic bastion of journalistic integrity The Daily Mail, Ashlyn told Ali the marriage was over days after returning from Cannes, where she was “flirty” with Sophia Bush.
This claim was echoed by a TMZ podcast that I had to stop listening to as soon as they started talking about how it was probably easier for Bush’s husband to handle being left for a woman than for a man.
There is no way to know for certain what happened, but that will not stop the community from continuing to try.
Also It’s Ashlyn Harris’s Birthday
Meanwhile, it is apparently Ashlyn Harris’ birthday, and the USWNT social media manager picked a really specific photograph to mark the occasion:
“Happy birthday to 2x World Cup champ @ashlynharris24,” they posted. And um:
!