On the surface, they have many things in common: an impressive fanbase with well over 300 million Instagram followers each, gorgeous children, super-glam mums, rap star husbands (and ex-husbands) – and, most importantly, world-famous derrieres. But Kim Kardashian and Beyonce’s much fabled friendship has never been straightforward, with insiders on both sides reporting moments of tension and animosity throughout the years, especially when Kim was still married to Kanye West. However, Kim, 42, put paid to rumours of a rift between her and Beyoncé, also 42, last week when she stepped out in style with assorted family members at the superstar’s birthday concert, which was held on the LA leg of her Renaissance world tour. Taking to Instagram, Kim posted snapshots of the night alongside emojis of a bee and a crown – paying royal respect to Her Majesty Queen Bey.

While fans went wild with speculation over what this meant for the pair’s much-debated friendship, sources tell us that Kim isn’t taking their renewed relations lightly. Indeed, having been stung in the past by Kanye’s unbridled outbursts against Beyoncé and Jay-Z, she’s now working diligently to make peace with them both in her own right and insert herself into their friendship circle. The question is, will Beyoncé welcome the chance to become BFFs with Kim – or will the latter’s persistence send her running in the other direction?

“Kim has always looked up to Beyoncé for her brains, beauty and talent,” says an insider close to the mum-of-four, who attended the concert last week with mum Kris Jenner, sister Khloé, daughter North, 10, and niece Penelope, 11. “It was just hard for her to get face to face time with Beyoncé when Kanye was on the scene, due to his awkward history with Bey and Jay, and she had to go along with it because he was her husband. But Kanye is no longer in the picture, and Kim is pulling out all the stops to get close to her new pal.”

As rap lore tells it, Kanye looked up to Jay-Z as a mentor, friend and “big brother” in the 1990s, and they frequently collaborated together. However, Ye – as he’s now known – first started burning bridges in 2009 when, in an apparent display of loyalty to Beyoncé, he infamously stormed the stage during Taylor Swift’s win for Best Female Video at the VMAs to tell the audience, “Beyoncé had the best video of all time.” His tribute to Jay-Z’s wife was unequivocally unappreciated, with Beyoncé’s thunderous face becoming a meme, and her later saying she felt “so bad” for Taylor.

In 2014 – at a time when Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s marriage was very publicly on the rocks – they failed to attend Kim and Kanye wedding in Italy, prompting Kanye to lash out against them. “I understand they were going through some things, but – if it’s family – you’re not going to miss a wedding,” he said in an interview soon after. “I’ve got to state my truth.” He then doubled down against his former mentor in 2016, slamming him for not reaching out when Kim was held at gunpoint in Paris. His political leanings and support towards then-President Donald Trump did nothing to improve relations with the Carters.

However, since Kanye and Kim’s relationship turned sour, Beyoncé has both privately and publicly reached out to Kim. In 2020, she sent Kim clothing from her Ivy Park collection, prompting the reality star to thank her on Instagram. Then, in 2021 – the year that Kim filed for divorce – Beyoncé wished Kim a happy birthday online. She later invited Kim and her sister Khloé to her roller-disco themed 41st birthday party.

According to our source, Kim’s grateful for the warmth and kindness that Beyoncé has displayed post-Kanye. Still, we’re told, she might be jumping the gun when it comes to cementing their bond. While Kim lives and breathes the limelight, Beyoncé is far more private in her day-to-day, and would rather keep her friendships largely off-grid. Kim’s hopes to monetise their friendship and collaborate on brand deals together in the future are not going down so well with Queen Bey.

“Kim is overwhelmed with gratitude that Beyoncé holds no grudges and has let her into her inner circle,” our source reveals. “But Kim wants more and is being exceedingly pushy. As well as wanting to set up girls’ nights, lunches and shopping dates, she’s also keen to get Beyoncé involved in one or more of her business ventures and social media posts. The trouble is, Kim is her brand – it’s part of her DNA, so she can’t separate business from friendship. That’s not Beyoncé’s style and, if Kim keeps pushing her luck, Beyoncé’s going to back away.”

Still, there’s one more hand Kim has to play with Beyoncé – and that’s the mum card. Both stars’ mums, Kris Jenner and Tina Knowles respectively, have been firm friends for a long time. Indeed, it was Tina who welcomed the Kardashian-Jenner clan to Beyoncé’s concert earlier this month, and she’s also been a regular fixture on their social scene, having attended Kris’s 60th birthday party back in 2014. Beyoncé and her mum are famously closer than close, and insiders say that – despite being indomitably powerful and influential in her own right – mum-of-three Bey still defers to her own mum for life guidance and advice. If Tina endorses her friendship with Kim, and Kardashian matriarch Kris co-signs on their allyship, then who is Beyoncé to say no? As the saying goes, mother knows best.