JAY-Z's Mom Gloria Carter and Her Wife Roxanne Wiltshire Make Red Carpet Debut as Newlyweds
The Carter family matriarch tied the knot with her longtime partner earlier this month.
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It's giving newlywed bliss! JAY-Z's mom, Dr. Gloria Carter, and her new wife, Roxanne Wiltshire, wore matching smiles as they walked their first red carpet as a married couple.
The pair, who got hitched earlier this month, attended the Shawn Carter Foundation's 20th Anniversary Black Tie Gala on Friday, where they posed for photographs arm-in-arm.
Carter, 72, wore a sleek black tuxedo jacket with leather lapels, a gray silk scarf under her collar and a fashionable pair of black glasses. Wiltshire matched her longtime partner in a sequin and strapless black gown that she accessorized with a silver necklace.
Held at New York City's Pier 60, the star-studded black-tie affair featured appearances from DJ Khaled, Meek Mill, Lil Uzi Vert, Yo Gotti, and many more, who all came out to celebrate the organization's two decades of service. Regina Hall hosted the event, and Babyface took the stage to perform.
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Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Roc Nation
Carter serves as the foundation's CEO and co-founder alongside her son, who established the foundation in 2003. The Shawn Carter Foundation's has committed to providing resources for students through scholarships, study abroad opportunities, tours to HBCUs and universities, and more.
Per Billboard, Friday's celebratory event raised $20 million to support those facing socioeconomic hardships to further their education at postsecondary institutions. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Láuren Sanchez made a $10 million legacy donation. Twitter founder and Square CEO Jack Dorsey also donated $2 million. All proceeds from the night will go towards the foundation's efforts in opening the doors of education, travel, enlightenment and experiences to the underprivileged.
A day prior, Carter and her wife also attended The Book of HOV: A TRIBUTE EXHIBITION HONORING JAY-Z at Brooklyn Public Library’s Central Library.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Roc Nation
Carter and Wiltshire tied the knot in New York City's Tribeca neighborhood in early July, according to TMZ, which published photos from the event.
The joyous celebration was attended by their friends and family, including JAY-Z and Beyoncé, alongside other celebrity guests like Kelly Rowland, Tina Knowles-Lawson, Tyler Perry and Robin Roberts.
Carter famously came out as a lesbian in her son JAY-Z's 2017 song, "Smile." She kept her sexuality a secret from the public until the then-48-year-old rapper's 4:44 album.
"Mama had four kids, but she's a lesbian/Had to pretend so long that she's a thespian/Had to hide in the closet, so she medicate/Society shame and the pain was too much to take," the now-53-year-old GRAMMY winner rapped in the song. "Cried tears of joy when you fell in love/Don't matter to me if it's a him or her/I just wanna see you smile through all the hate/Marie Antoinette, baby, let 'em eat cake."
In 2018, Carter gave a powerful speech about her experience coming out as she accepted a special award on behalf of her son at the 29th Annual GLAAD Media Awards.
"My son cried. He said, 'It must have been horrible to live that way so long.' My life wasn't horrible. I chose to protect my family from ignorance. I was happy, but I was not free," Carter said. "Then one day, I met someone that made my heart sing. Made me no longer want to sneak a peep at them, but actually look at them with loving eyes."
She choked back tears as she continued.
"Love gave me the courage to take the power that I allowed other people to have over my life for fear of them revealing my secret that wasn't really a secret," she said. "Here I am. I am loving. I am respectful. I am productive. And I am a human being who has a right to love who I love. So everybody, just smile, be free. Thank you and God bless."
The beautiful sentiment echoed her message in JAY-Z's song.
"Living in the shadow feels like the safe place to be. No harm for them, no harm for me," she says on the track. "But life is short, and it's time to be free. Love who you love, because life isn't guaranteed. Smile."
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