Terrence Howard Says Beyoncé Showed Him Exactly What He Missed

Long before Beyoncé became one half of one of music’s most powerful couples alongside Jay-Z, actor Terrence Howard says he once had a chance to pursue a relationship with the future superstar — but ultimately chose to focus on someone else in the group instead.

Howard recently reflected on the moment during a podcast conversation with Patrick Bet-David via Valuetainment, recalling an early encounter with Beyoncé during the rise of Destiny’s Child, when the R&B group was rapidly becoming one of the biggest acts in music.

According to Howard, the interaction happened well before Beyoncé’s relationship with Jay-Z and long before her global solo superstardom.

“I Had a Chance to Date Beyoncé”

Howard claimed he and Beyoncé shared a brief moment of connection during Destiny’s Child’s early years. “I had a chance to date Beyoncé early on,” Howard said, recalling that the two had a conversation when the group was still establishing itself.

But instead of pursuing Beyoncé, Howard said he turned his attention to another member of the group.

“I ended up talking to the other girl in Destiny’s Child — the girl with the blue eyes,” he explained, describing a moment where he chose to focus on someone else, possibly former member Farrah Franklin, rather than the singer who would eventually become one of the biggest stars in the world. Franklin later left the group and was not able to hit superstardom despite the promising start.

Looking back now, Howard suggested the choice may not have been the best.

The Famous 2005 BET Awards Moment

Howard also pointed to a moment many fans still remember from the BET Awards 2005, when Beyoncé performed the hit song “Cater 2 U” alongside her fellow Destiny’s Child members.

During the performance, Beyoncé brought Howard on stage and gave him a playful lap dance as part of the choreography — a moment that quickly became one of the night’s most talked-about highlights.

Looking back, Howard suggested the moment may have carried a little extra meaning for him personally.

“I remember Beyoncé looking over at me,” he said while recalling the performance. “I think that’s why she picked me to do that dance — to show me what I had lost.”

At the time, the moment played as a fun, flirtatious piece of stage choreography during Destiny’s Child’s performance. But Howard now frames it as a reminder of a decision he says he made years earlier, when he believes he had a chance to date Beyoncé during the group’s early rise.

Terrence Howard and Beyoncé Have Worked Together

Howard and Beyoncé later crossed paths professionally when they co-starred in the 2008 musical drama Cadillac Records.

In the movie, Beyoncé played blues legend Etta James, and Howard portrayed record executive Leonard Chess, who was important in the rise of Chicago blues.

By the time Cadillac Records came out, Beyoncé was already a global superstar. Terrence Howard had also made a name for himself in Hollywood with movies like Hustle & Flow and later the TV show Empire.

A Story From Long Before the Carter Era

Howard emphasized that his story dates back to a much earlier chapter in Beyoncé’s career — well before the era when she and Jay-Z would become one of entertainment’s most influential couples.

At the time, Destiny’s Child were already making waves in the music industry, but the scale of Beyoncé’s eventual success was still unfolding.

Today, Beyoncé and Jay-Z stand among the most recognizable power couples in modern entertainment. But Terrence Howard’s anecdote offers a small glimpse into the early days of the singer’s career — and a moment the actor now seems to remember with a bit of hindsight.