Even before the start of the show, Beyonce's dramatic pregnancy announcement was the indisputable breakout moment of the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards.
The 2011 MTV Video Music Awards were practically upstaged by two non-music events. The first, even before the show started, was Beyonce's pregnancy announcement on the black (not red) carpet. Beyonce followed up with a high-voltage stage show which earned her thousands of #respect tweets. At the end of her performance, she unbuttoned the sequined blazer she was wearing and rubbed her tummy on stage. The camera cut away to a beaming Jay-Z. The show's other top moment came from gender-bender Lady Gaga. Gaga opened the Video Music Awards dressed in drag as her male alter-ego, Jo Calderone, who sports short dark hair and smokes constantly.
Ahead: Images from yet-another action-packed VMA show.
Even before the start of the show, Beyonce's dramatic pregnancy announcement was the indisputable breakout moment of the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards.
Dressed in a loose fitting, off-the-shoulder orange Lanvin gown, Beyonce clutched the baby bump that so many celeb-watchers had been predicting since she married Jay-Z.
The big news for the dazzling couple comes after more than three years of marriage.
Later, Beyonce performed Love on Top, and if Twitter hadn't already spread the news, her outfit gave clues to her impending motherhood.
Instead of her trademark sexy outfits, Beyonce dressed in sequined Dolce & Gabbana tuxedo jacket but still danced around in her signature stilettos.
Beyonce didn't utter a word about the pregnancy, but ended the number by taking off her jacket and rubbing her swollen belly. In the audience, an elated Jay-Z hooted and clapped for his wife, as Kanye West hugged him.
It was a big night for the expectant mom, who will turn 30 on September 4. Her high-energy performance was lauded on Twitter with hundreds of tweets #respect .
There's plenty of speculation already on the name of Beyonce's unborn baby, with “Jeyonce” leading the list!
Others speculate that Beyonce's pregnancy will usher in a baby boom in showbiz!
Either way, this is one showbiz pregnancy we'll be tracking, so keep watching this space closely!
Lady Gaga added the bizarre touch to this year's MTV Video Music Awards dressed in drag as her male alter-ego, Jo Calderone.
The envelope-pushing artist (who wore a dress made of meat to last year's VMAs) remained dressed as Calderone the entire night.
After accepting the award for Best Female Video for Born This Way, Calderone/Gaga came into a backstage press room smoking a cigarette.
She stamped the cigarette out on the carpet before posing for photos.
Asked what she can express as Calderone that she can't as Gaga, she replied, "I don't understand the question."
She also said, "I'm not a singer or a model or an actor or anything. I'm a guy. I'm just a guy, you know, and I just wanted to show my girl how much I love her, that's all."
