Rihanna is well known for always making a statement with her looks. However, a recent viral photo of her doesn’t exactly match that reputation.
From her ventures like Fenty Beauty to SAVAGE X Fenty, Rihanna, now a billionaire, is recognized for her forward-thinking approach to fashion. Originally launching her career as a teenage singer, she has since become the force behind iconic brands that promote diversity and inclusion.
As a mother to three children, RZA, Riot, and Rocki, with her partner, rapper A$AP Rocky, the Bajan star recently made headlines for an unexpected reason.
A popular meme account on Instagram, fembase, which boasts 542K followers, posted a photo from 2011 of Rihanna performing at V Festival.
Much to her fans’ disappointment, Rihanna has not released new music since her 2022 song ‘Lift Me Up,’ which was featured on the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack.
Her last stage performance was at the Super Bowl LVII halftime show in February 2023, where she revealed her second pregnancy with her son, Riot.
Typically, Rihanna is a go-to for fashion or beauty inspiration. However, this photo shared on the fembase Instagram account depicts the singer with a bold red curly hairstyle mid-performance, leaning back with a puzzled expression.
The meme account featured the image of the 37-year-old in a post titled: “Women don’t realize how much their boyfriends love ‘bad’ photos of them,” shared on Thursday, Nov. 20.
When the photo was originally taken, it went viral for revealing a scar on her chin that fans hadn’t noticed before. This time, the meme account highlighted the image for its humorous context.
The lengthy caption accompanying the fembase post stated: “Research and anecdotal evidence suggest that many men are drawn to candid or ‘imperfect’ photos of their girlfriends. These images can feel more authentic and intimate than highly polished shots.”
It further explained: “The appeal comes from emotional connection rather than aesthetics — seeing natural expressions or unfiltered moments often strengthens feelings of closeness and affection.”
“For some couples, sharing casual or spontaneous photos can actually deepen trust and connection, highlighting the value of authenticity over perfection.”
Rihanna, taking it in stride three days after the post went live, commented: “How I catch this stray tho?” from her Instagram account @badgalriri.
The ‘SOS’ singer’s comment brought even more attention to the already viral post, with one Reddit user commenting: “It kinda looks like her avatar.”
Rihanna is known for changing her Instagram avatar to a stick woman doodle of herself.
Another Reddit user remarked: “She was literally minding her own business and here they come with this sh*t lmaooooo I would hate to be famous.”
This post appeared just a week after Rihanna and A$AP Rocky were seen making a fashion statement in matching leather trench coats during a dinner outing.