Beyoncé has announced that her highly anticipated reveal, originally set for Tuesday, 14 January, will be postponed in light of the ongoing wildfires ravaging parts of Los Angeles. The singer, 43, shared the news on Instagram, explaining her decision to delay the announcement due to the devastation caused by the fires.

In her statement, Beyoncé expressed her sympathy for the families affected by the wildfires, saying, “The January 14th announcement will be postponed to a later date due to the devastation caused by the ongoing wildfires around areas of Los Angeles.” She continued, “I continue to pray for healing and rebuilding for the families suffering from trauma and loss,” and thanked the first responders working tirelessly to protect the community. She also encouraged her followers to support those impacted by the fires by visiting her public charity foundation, BeyGood’s website.

The postponement came just hours after Beyoncé made a significant donation to the fire relief efforts. The singer donated $2.5 million (approximately £2,050,000 GBP) on behalf of the BeyGood Foundation to aid families in the Altadena/Pasadena area who lost their homes, as well as to churches and community centres affected by the fires.

Fans had been speculating about the nature of the 14 January announcement after Beyoncé teased the date with a cryptic video posted on Christmas Day. In the clip, Beyoncé appeared in an all-white outfit, sitting on a white horse and waving a flag, captioned simply with, “Look at that horse.” She had remained silent on social media since then, until her statement explaining the delay.

The wildfires, which have forced thousands of people to evacuate, have caused significant destruction, and the National Weather Service issued a rare Red Flag Warning for the area, citing strong winds that heighten the risk of “rapid fire growth.” As of Sunday, 12 January, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed that the death toll had risen to 24 due to the fires.