See How Rihanna and A$AP Rocky Went From Long-time Friends To Lovers
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky have been friends since around 2012, but a lot has changed over the years. They've been rumored to be dating on and off since 2013—all while having relationships with other A-listers. Rihanna was rumored to be dating Drake somewhere between 2009 and 2016 before she dated Hassan Jameel for almost three years.
Meanwhile, A$AP was dating Victoria's Secret model Chanel Iman from 2012 to 2014, and later, Tahiry Jose and Kendall Jenner around 2017. Still, romance rumors followed the duo wherever they went. And despite all odds, fans always had a slither of hope that Riri and A$AP would somehow find their way to each other. And lucky for them, they did.
Now, the two are together and have a baby boy in their lives. Adorable, right? If you're hoping to take a trip down memory late, here's a full timeline of Rihanna and A$AP Rocky's relationship.
September 2012: A$AP Rocky and Rihanna collab.
After the success of Rihanna's 2011 album Talk That Talk, she had A$AP join her for a remix of her song "Cockiness." The song was already super steamy, but with A$AP on the track, a lot of fans got on board with the idea of them as an item.
They also performed the song together at the 2012 MTV VMA's, and the chemistry was definitely there. Watch the video:
March 2013: A$AP Rocky is Rihanna's opening act.
Rihanna was already established in her career by the time she and A$AP connected. So, it's no surprise that she offered him a spot as an opening act on her Diamonds world tour in early 2013. The tour ran from March to November 2013.
September 2013: Rihanna stars in A$AP's music video.
Mid-tour, A$AP Rocky dropped his music video for "Fashion Killa" off his album Long. Live. ASAP. The video shows A$AP and Riri coupled up while going on a shopping trip. And as you can imagine, this only fueled more rumors of their romance.
June 2018: Rihanna and A$AP Rocky attend a Louis Vuitton show together.
From 2014 through 2017, romance rumors seemed to die down as Rih and A$AP dated other people. Then in 2018, they reconnected front row at the Louis Vuitton fashion show in Paris. They both wore outfits designed by Louis Vuitton's artistic designer, Virgil Abloh.
September 2018: A$AP Rocky attends Rihanna's annual Diamond Ball.
Rihanna created the annual Diamond Ball in 2014 to help raise money for The Clara Lionel Foundation, which she founded in 2012. The foundation "invests in climate justice initiatives in the Caribbean & United States and helps communities prepare for and withstand natural disasters," according to its website.
September 2019: A$AP returns to the Diamond Ball.
The rapper returned for the fifth annual Diamond Ball a year later wearing an all-black blazer and suit from Rick Owens.
December 2019: Rihanna and A$AP Rocky walk the carpet at the British Fashion Awards.
For some, Rih and Rocky's red carpet reunion seemed wholesome, especially after years of not appearing in public together. For others, it appeared like the duo was hinting at a relationship and made it red carpet official.
The duo attended the British Fashion Awards, with Rihanna wearing a turquoise Fenty satin dress and Rocky sporting an all-black ensemble (also from Fenty!).
January 2020: Rumors of their relationship pick up following Rihanna's breakup with Hassan Jameel.
After Rihanna ended her almost three-year relationship with Saudi billionaire, Hassan Jameel, rumors swirled that she immediately started dating A$AP Rocky. The two were spotted spending time together in New York. However, the rumors were quickly shut down.
"They shared a hotel suite during that trip in New York," a source told The Sun. "However, Rihanna is reluctant to put a label on it as it's so soon after Hassan. They're really enjoying each other's company and taking things easy as it's still early days."
The source also said that Rihanna wasn't thinking about a future with A$AP considering she had just ended her previous relationship.
"[Rihanna] wants to be single and isn't going to jump into something. She's hanging out with ASAP Rocky, but she is not dating him," another source revealed to E! News.
August 2020: Rihanna and A$AP promote Fenty Skin.
In a collab between Vogue and GQ, Rih and Rocky did a video segment called "Face To Face' where they discussed all things skincare and wellness. A$AP also joined Lil Nas X to model for one of Rihanna's Fenty Skin campaigns.
November 2020: People confirms that Rihanna and A$AP Rocky are dating.
After months of speculation, a source confirms with People that Rihanna and A$AP became an item not long after Rihanna's split from Hassan Jameel. They were spotted in New York City together around the time of the confirmation.
December 2020: Rihanna and A$AP Rocky vacation in Barbados.
Talk about a honeymoon phase! One month after going public about their relationship, Riri and A$AP took their romance to Barbados (where they both have family, BTW).
Photos showed the couple enjoying their time on the island over Christmas. "They've been inseparable the past few weeks," a source revealed to People. "It's a new relationship, but they both seem very into it."
May 2021: A$AP calls Rihanna the love of his life.
After many paparazzi spottings and date nights, A$AP finally opened up about his feelings for Rihanna.
When asked what was it like being in a relationship again, he was quick to show just how serious he was about their bond. “So much better when you got the One. She amounts to probably, like, a million of the other ones...I think when you know, you know. She's the One,” he confidently told GQ.
He also reportedly referred to her as “The love of my life,” and “My lady” throughout the interview. Can anyone hear wedding bells or just me?
May 2021: The duo starts talking about kids.
In the same interview with GQ, Rocky revealed that he's looking forward to being a father one day. "I think I’d be an incredible, remarkably, overall amazing dad. I would have a very fly child. Very,” he said.
Later that month, Rihanna went on the record to talk about wanting kids as well. She told British Vogue that in ten years, she hopes to have at least three or four kids, adding that she's working hard now so she won't have to in the future.
She also made it clear that she's happy to be a parent with or without a partner by her side. “I feel like society makes me want to feel like, ‘Oh, you got it wrong…’ They diminish you as a mother if there’s not a dad in your kids’ lives. But the only thing that matters is happiness, that’s the only healthy relationship between a parent and a child. That’s the only thing that can raise a child truly, is love," she told British Vogue.
September 2021: Rihanna and A$AP Rocky attend the Met Gala together.
Last September, the duo showed that they were a true fashion It couple when they made their appearance at Vogue's Met Gala. Rihanna wore a black oversized puffer coat from Balenciaga Couture, while A$AP wore a quilt-like wrap from ERL.
January 2022: Rihanna announces she's expecting with A$AP Rocky.
Less than a year after the couple dropped hints about wanting kids, Rihanna announced that she was expecting with A$AP. The couple took stunning photos in the middle of snowy Harlem, with Rihanna rocking a pink 'fit and A$AP wearing blue. As you can imagine, this led to a lot of speculation about the gender of the baby.
May 2022: Rihanna and A$AP Rocky "pretend" to get engaged.
In Rocky's music video for his single "D.M.B" Rihanna appears to hang out with him on a fire escape while dressed to the nines, they also kiss at a hair salon, smoke together, grab dinner, oh and casually "pretend" to get engaged.
Toward the end of the video, Rihanna appears to wear a red veil that gets lifted over her face. A$AP smiles with a grill that says, "Marry me?" to which she smiles back, with her grill saying, "I do."
This led the internet down a rabbit hole of curiosity. Did they actually get engaged? Are they trolling everyone? Are they already married? The questions went on, but a source eventually told TMZ that it was all for show.
May 2022: Rihanna and A$AP Rocky welcome their first child
On May 19, People confirmed that Rihanna and A$AP Rocky welcomed a baby boy. The couple spent most of their time following the arrival of their little one in their home in Los Angeles.
"Rihanna is doing well. They are very excited to be parents. Rihanna is already a wonderful mom," a source told People.
May 2022: A$AP Rocky opens up about fatherhood for the first time.
When asked how he sees himself as a father, the rapper shared that he hopes to be a good influence on his kids in the future.
"I will always remind my children to never lose their imagination, even as adults, no matter what...I hope to raise open-minded children. Not people who discriminate," he told Dazed. "And I’m not trying to describe a saint, but realistically, I just want a cool child with cool parents."
Note: While the interview was released in May, it's likely he said this before the arrival of their baby.
October 2022: Rihanna and A$AP appear on the red carpet for the premiere of Wakanda Forever.
Rihanna revealed that she will release two new songs for the Wakanda forever movie, with the first song dropping October 28. This will be Rihanna's first single released in roughly six years.
The couple stepped out on the carpet wearing matching outfits. Rihanna wore a strapless green-grey dress while Rocky matched her with a denim jacket and matching pants.
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