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A significant security breach has rocked Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter tour after unreleased music and other sensitive material were stolen from a rental car in Atlanta, just days before her much-anticipated performances in the city.
The incident has triggered an ongoing police investigation, with an arrest warrant already issued for a suspect.
A costly security breach
According to the Atlanta Police Department, the theft occurred on July 8 when Beyoncé’s choreographer, Christopher Grant, and dancer Diandre Blue briefly left their rented 2024 black Jeep Wagoneer parked outside a food hall.
Upon their return, they found the rear window smashed and two suitcases missing.
Inside those suitcases were five jump drives containing unreleased and watermarked Beyoncé music, detailed show plans, and set lists for both past and upcoming performances.
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In the police report, Grant and Blue stated they were carrying some personal sensitive information for the musician Beyoncé.
Also stolen in the break-in were two MacBook laptops, designer clothing, Apple AirPods, and high-end sunglasses though it's the loss of the flash drives that has raised the most alarm.
High stakes for the Queen of secrecy
Beyoncé is famously meticulous about guarding her unreleased content. Her team has long been known to operate under tight security protocols, particularly during tours and album rollouts.
The incident, therefore, represents a rare and serious breach.
A representative for Beyoncé’s production team confirmed that while the material on the flash drives is protected with digital watermarks, the incident is being taken very seriously.
“Despite the theft, the files were secured with unique watermarks designed to trace any leaks,” said one of Beyoncé’s producers, highlighting the extent to which the team goes to safeguard her intellectual property.
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These watermarks allow the star’s team to identify and trace any leaks back to their source, should the files be distributed online or otherwise used without authorisation.
Authorities responded swiftly, using Apple’s 'Find My' feature to attempt to trace the stolen electronics.
That tracking led them to a suspicious silver vehicle, described as either a Toyota or Hyundai Elantra. While the report confirms that an arrest warrant has since been issued, the suspect’s name has not yet been made public.
Surveillance footage from the area was retrieved, and officers also collected two light fingerprints from the broken vehicle. The investigation is ongoing, and it remains unclear whether the stolen items have been successfully recovered.