Rihanna Reveals the True Timeline She & A$AP Rocky Began Their Romance
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Originally appeared on E! Online
It turns out, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky found love in a hopeless place 2019.
Indeed, the "We Found Love" singer confirmed, after years of speculation, when the pair's longtime friendship turned romantic. And according to Rihanna, it was a natural progression for the like-minded creatives.
"We saw fashion the same. We saw creative the same," she explained in a conversation with former stylist Mel Ottenberg for Interview published April 9. "We ended up in the same circles a lot. And past that, when we grew up, we ended up supporting each other's brands and products and creative all the time. I would wear his s--t, he would show up to my launches. But it wasn't until the end of 2019..."
And when Mel wondered if either Rihanna or A$AP had slid into the other's DMs in order to progress their friendship, she quickly said that wasn't the case.
"We've known each other for a long time," the 36-year-old explained. "I've seen him in relationships. He's seen me in relationships. We've seen each other outside of relationships. We knew what we're capable of, and the trouble that we could bring to each other's lives. We can make or break each other's hearts. And so, we started dating with a lot of caution."
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She continued, "I just let whatever was supposed to happen, happen. It was just, 'This is a flower. It's either going to die or blossom. But I'm going to let it decide itself.'"
And now, four years and two kids later, it looks like that flower has more than bloomed into a flourishing relationship—one that was accelerated with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"COVID sped up our relationship," Rihanna shared. "Which I felt like God knew we needed because we were going to start a family. And had it not been for COVID, we would've taken a lot more time to get comfortable with each other, to even know that we were ready."
Now parents to sons RZA, 22 months, and Riot, 8 months, when she looks back at when she and A$AP started their family, the Grammy winner still marvels over how natural it all felt.
"We didn't even really talk about it," Rihanna remembered. "There was no denying it. It was the best thing that ever happened to us. It just happened."
She continued, "When someone sees you completely, and believes in you, and thinks you're worthy of being the mother of their kids, it's a great feeling. I felt the same about him. I knew he would be a great dad."
For a look back at how Rihanna and A$AP's romance blossomed, keep reading.
September 2012
In 2012, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky performed their hit "Cockiness" at the MTV Video Music Awards, and their number was so good it deserved a trophy. This wouldn't be the last time the two shared the stage as they went on tour together in 2013.
September 2013
Fans had this song on replay after Rihanna and A$AP Rocky released the music video for "Fashion Killa" in 2013.
June 2018
As the years went on, they remained friends. In 2018, they attended the Louis Vuitton Menswear Spring/Summer 2019 show as part of Paris Fashion Week and, of course, they totally slayed.
December 2019
They also attended The Fashion Awards in 2019, with Rihanna dazzling in a mint Fenty dress and A$AP Rocky looking sharp in a black suit.
September 2021
Met Gala official! Rihanna and A$AP Rocky attended the 2021 Met Gala together in style, with the "Umbrella" singer wearing a black Balenciaga gown and the "A$AP Forever" artist donning a custom ERL quilt and a tuxedo.
February 2022
After announcing they were expecting their first baby, Rihanna recalled keeping her pregnancy a secret from her friends. "It was harder for me to keep it from my posse, because they're around me, they know my habits," she told E!'s Justin Sylvester. "They're like, 'You don't want something to drink? You're not smoking?' And I'm eating all the things I'm not used to eating. They know I hate sweets and I'm all of a sudden asking for cookies and donuts. But finally, I just had to let it all out, and they were all shocked, of course, as the world was shocked as well."
February 2022
SOS! These photos are so sweet! As Rihanna and A$AP prepared for their bundle of joy, she continued to show her incredible pregnancy style.
May 2022
While fans wondered if A$AP Rocky had proposed to Rihanna after seeing them sport the words "Marry me?" and "I do" across their teeth in his "D.M.B." video, sources close to the couple told TMZ in May 2022 the two aren't engaged.
May 2022
And baby makes three! Multiple outlets report that the couple welcomed a baby in Los Angeles.
February 2023
She debuted her second pregnancy during the 2023 Super Bowl halftime show.
May 2023
The pair take the 2023 Met Gala together in honor of Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld.
June 2023
Rihanna accompanied A$AP Rocky during his performance at a Spotify party in Cannes, France.
August 2023
The couple welcomed their second child, son Riot. One month later, they shared their first photos as a family of four in a rare photoshoot.
April 2024
Rihanna confirmed her romance with A$AP began at the end of 2019.
"I've seen him in relationships. He's seen me in relationships," she explained of their long history. "We knew what we're capable of, and the trouble that we could bring to each other's lives. We can make or break each other's hearts. And so, we started dating with a lot of caution."
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