Beyoncé Knowles reportedly wants to spend Christmas in the Dominican Republic.

It's been a tough year for the A-list singer, who has battled constant speculation about the state of her marriage to Jay Z. It started when footage of her sister Solange lashing out at Jay in an elevator after the Met Ball in May was made public, and Beyoncé is apparently finding it hard to take.

She's also got other things on her plate, such as her parents' breakup and the death of her close friend Kelly Rowland's mother.

'This time last year everything couldn't have been more peachy for Bey, but now everything's so messy and she has no idea how she's going to get through the family celebrations,' an insider told British magazine Heat.

'Bey's telling everyone she's worried Christmas is going to be a nightmare, and she's begging Jay to take her and Blue [Ivy, their daughter] to the Dominican Republic and forget everyone.'

There have been allegations Jay has been unfaithful this year, but the couple have put on several displays of unity. Beyoncé apparently hates that their marriage is under the spotlight though, which is said to be one of the reasons why she arranged a special birthday celebration for him. The rapper turned 45 on December 4 and his 33-year-old wife took him to stay in a lodge in Iceland via private plane.

'This Iceland trip is a perfect example of her new strategy. It's his birthday and what does she do? She whisks him far away from New York City and a big party where there would be women involved. They went all the way to Iceland so that the party was intimate and the guest list small,' the source said.