Rihanna and A$AP Rocky didn’t fall in love overnight, their relationship timeline has been a roller coaster.
Their romance was years in the making, rooted in friendship, musical collabs, and deep admiration. It’s a love story that spans over a decade, turning from casual chemistry into a tight-knit family unit with two children. Here’s a complete breakdown of their relationship journey, from the early 2010s to now.
2012: First Meeting and Early Collaborations
Rihanna and Rakim “A$AP Rocky” Mayers first crossed paths in September 2012 while rehearsing for the MTV Video Music Awards. Rihanna had invited Rocky to feature on the remix of her track “Cockiness (Love It),” and the two hit the stage together for a fiery live performance. That moment turned heads – not just for the performance, but because of a now-famous photo where Rocky playfully cupped Rihanna’s backside. Though it raised eyebrows, Rihanna later admitted it didn’t bother her, showing the playful energy that hinted at more than just musical chemistry.
Source – vogue.com
2013: Tour and “Fashion Killa” Music Video
Rocky and Rihanna’s connection only grew stronger in 2013. That March, he joined her Diamonds World Tour as the opening act for the North American leg, giving them plenty of time to bond behind the scenes. Later in the year, Rihanna starred as his love interest in the music video for “Fashion Killa,” released on September 25. The stylish visuals had them playing a couple, dripping in designer looks and flirtatious vibes. Their on-screen chemistry was undeniable, sparking even more buzz about whether art was starting to reflect real life.
Source – people.com
2018 – 2019: Fashion Week & First Red Carpet
Through the late 2010s, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky remained close friends and were often seen together at major fashion events. In June 2018, they sat front-row at Louis Vuitton’s menswear show during Paris Fashion Week, turning heads with their style and easy rapport. Just a few months later, Rocky showed his support by attending Rihanna’s Diamond Ball charity gala in September. At the time, these public sightings pointed to a strong friendship – nothing more.
But by December 2019, things took a noticeable turn. The pair made their first red carpet appearance together at the British Fashion Awards, arriving arm-in-arm and fueling fresh speculation. Rocky even praised Rihanna’s fashion sense in press interviews that night. According to Vogue, by the end of that year, they had quietly made things official, finally turning years of friendship into something more intimate.
Source – people.com
2020: Business Collaborations and Dating Confirmation
In 2020, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky’s relationship evolved from close friends to something much deeper. The year kicked off with a major business move – Rocky starred in Rihanna’s debut Fenty Skin campaign in Augustpeople.com. The duo’s chemistry was impossible to miss in joint GQ and Vogue interviews, where they playfully bantered and asked each other rapid-fire questions, charming fans with their natural ease.
Meanwhile, Rihanna’s January split from billionaire Hassan Jameel sparked rumors of a new romance. By November 2020, People confirmed what fans had long suspected: Rihanna and Rocky were officially dating. A source revealed they had taken things slow and began dating that fall, after years of mutual admiration. Rihanna later shared in a 2024 Interview Magazine feature that they had started seeing each other “at the end of 2019” and proceeded “with a lot of caution.”
By December, the two were already traveling as a couple. Rocky joined Rihanna in Barbados for Christmas 2020, where he spent the holidays with her family. Sources said they were “inseparable” and clearly smitten, signaling the start of a serious, committed relationship.
Source – people.com
2021: Red Carpet Debut and Growing Romance
By early 2021, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky’s romance was no longer under wraps – it was blooming in full view. In January, Rihanna subtly showed her support by posting a glam shot on Instagram wearing crystal-studded shoes designed by Rocky’s AWGE collectivepeople.com. It was a quiet nod to both his fashion sense and their growing bond.
Then came May, and Rocky pulled back the curtain on their love in a major way. In a GQ cover interview, he called Rihanna “the love of my life” and “the one,” adding, “I think when you know, you know.” He also talked about wanting to be a “very fly” dad, giving fans a glimpse into his dreams of a future familypeople.com. Rihanna, too, had expressed her maternal hopes in a 2020 British Vogue interview, saying she definitely wanted kids – “three or four of ’em” – whether or not she had a partner.
But the moment that truly cemented their status as a couple came on September 13, 2021. The pair made their official debut at the Met Gala, turning heads in bold, coordinated looks. Rihanna wore a dramatic black Balenciaga coat-dress, while Rocky draped himself in a vibrant, quilted capepeople.com. Their red carpet appearance wasn’t just a fashion statement – it was a declaration: this was love, and it was here to stay.
Source – people.com
2022: Pregnancy and First Child (RZA)
The year 2022 started with a bang for Rihanna and A$AP Rocky – quite literally baby news that rocked the internet. On January 31, paparazzi snapped photos of Rihanna strolling through New York with a clearly visible baby bump. The stylish reveal quickly turned into an official announcement: the couple was expecting their first child.
Not long after, the soon-to-be parents began showing up everywhere, radiating love and coordinated fashion. On February 11, they made a dazzling red carpet appearance at a Fenty Beauty Universe event in Los Angeles, unintentionally matching in purple and green looks (Rihanna joked that it wasn’t planned). The following day, they surprised shoppers at Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty store in Culver City, posing beaming in front of Valentine’s-themed displays.
March brought Paris fashion week, and the two were spotted enjoying a late-night baby shopping spree at Baby. By April, Rihanna leaned into the fun of her pregnancy style – on one night out, she rocked a bold shirt that read “Who dat? Dat’s jus my baby daddy,” cheekily nodding to Rocky as they strolled hand-in-handpeople.com. Even after Rocky was briefly arrested later that month, the couple was seen enjoying a quiet dinner in LA, visibly unfazed and focused on the joy of their growing family.
Rocky celebrated their love through music, too. On May 5, he dropped the video for “D.M.B” (Dat’s My Bitch), co-starring Rihanna. The video ends with a staged wedding scene – Rihanna in a red veil, Rocky grinning at the altar – serving as a playful, stylized tribute to their relationship.
Then came the moment fans had been waiting for. On May 19, 2022, People confirmed Rihanna had given birth to a baby boy: RZA Athelston Mayers. Sources said the couple was overjoyed, and both mother and baby were doing great. Just days later, Rocky spoke to Dazed magazine, sharing his vision for fatherhood: he wanted to raise creative, “very cool” kids and always remind them to “never lose their imagination.”
The rest of the year saw Rihanna and Rocky adjusting to parenthood while still turning heads. In August, they were seen walking around New York in casual, coordinated streetwear. In September, Rihanna supported Rocky at the launch of his Mercer & Prince whiskey line, where they looked cozy and in sync on camera. The couple marked Rocky’s 34th birthday with an intimate dinner in West Hollywood on October 2. Later that month, they made a glamorous appearance at the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever premiere – Rihanna’s emotional track “Lift Me Up” featured on the movie’s soundtrackpeople.com.
By year’s end, Rihanna opened up about Rocky’s behind-the-scenes role in her life. She called him her “biggest supporter” and revealed that his encouragement played a huge part in her saying yes to headlining the 2023 Super Bowl halftime show.
Source – people.com
2023: Second Pregnancy and Baby Riot
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky kicked off 2023 as a true power couple, showing up side by side at the Golden Globes on January 10. Rihanna, nominated for Best Original Song, had Rocky right by her side the entire night. Just days later, Rocky shared his excitement with Apple Music about her upcoming Super Bowl halftime performance, calling it “huge” and admitting, “I’m more excited than everybody else”people.com.
That excitement hit new heights on February 12, 2023, when Rihanna took the stage at Super Bowl LVII and shocked the world by debuting her second pregnancy mid-performance. The red outfit. The bump. The confident strut. It all confirmed the rumors in an unforgettable way. Rocky was in the crowd, visibly proud, filming and cheering her on like the ultimate hype man.
Just three days later, on February 15, Rihanna, Rocky, and baby RZA graced the cover of British Vogue’s March issue in their first family photoshoot. In the accompanying interview, Rihanna called parenthood transformative, saying that having RZA brought her and Rocky even closer. “We’re best friends with a baby,” she said.
Following the Super Bowl, the couple kept things low-key. Rihanna celebrated her 35th birthday on February 20 with an intimate dinner in Santa Monica. On May 1, they made their traditional statement-making entrance at the Met Gala. Rihanna, glowing and visibly pregnant, wore an all-white Valentino gown with a dramatic floral cape. The couple arrived fashionably late, naturally stealing the showpeople.com.
In July, Rocky hinted that the pair had more than music in mind for future projects. Speaking to Complex, he said he was “always down to collab” with Rihanna, teasing everything from kids’ products to other ventures.
Then came the next big moment: the birth of their second child. In August 2023 (confirmed publicly on August 28), Rihanna gave birth to another baby boy, whom they named Riot Rose. Sources close to the couple shared that Rihanna and Rocky felt their family was now perfectly complete.
On September 19, the world got its first look at baby Riot. The couple released an intimate family photoshoot showing Rihanna cuddling Riot while Rocky carried big brother RZA on his shoulders. The vibe was effortless, loving, and pure joypeople.com.
By the end of the year, Rihanna couldn’t help but gush about her family. In December 2023, she told Page Six that seeing Rocky in full dad mode is “a turn on,” adding that both Riot and RZA are “obsessed” with him. She praised him as a “great, patient, loving” father, sealing his reputation as not just a style icon, but a total family man.
Source – people.com
2024: Life as a Family and Business Projects
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky stepped into 2024 living their best lives as partners, parents, and collaborators. In late February, the couple was spotted in Venice, Italy, celebrating Rihanna’s 36th birthday in signature style. Paparazzi caught them slipping away under an umbrella, but not before enjoying a romantic gondola ride through the Grand Canal – kissing, laughing, and soaking in the magic of the city together.
But the trip wasn’t just about romance. Back in the States, the duo proved once again that love and business mix just fine. On February 28, 2024, they dropped a stylish short film for Fenty Skin to launch their new lip balm. Titled Born to Steal: Yours, Mine, Ours, the noir-inspired two-minute video starred Rihanna as a glamorous jewel thief and Rocky as the smooth-talking detective on her trail. Equal parts cinematic and cheeky, the promo was a nod to their chemistry – and their growing empirepeople.com.
Source – people.com
Early 2025: Engagement Rumors and Legal Victory
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky kicked off 2025 with both high-stakes courtroom drama and major relationship speculation. In February, Rocky finally faced a jury trial in Los Angeles for a 2021 assault charge. Rihanna stood firmly by his side, making headlines for her unwavering presence in the courtroom – front-row on January 29, and even bringing their sons along on at least one occasion-. On February 18, Rocky was acquitted of all felony charges, and when the verdict came in, he embraced Rihanna and their family in an emotional courtroom moment-.
Not long after the legal dust settled, the internet lit up with engagement rumors. In April, Rihanna dropped a new Savage X Fenty bridal campaign – and it wasn’t just the lacy looks getting attention. The superstar was photographed rocking a massive diamond ring on that. The dreamy, wedding-inspired shoot instantly sparked fan theories that she and Rocky may have secretly gotten engaged.
Adding fuel to the fire, Rocky had recently been referring to Rihanna as his “wife” in interviews, raising even more eyebrowselle.com. As of May 5, 2025, neither of them has confirmed any wedding plans – but between the ring, the bridal shoot, and their public affection, fans are fully convinced that wedding bells may be ringing soon.
Source – people.com
Summary: From meeting in 2012 to raising two sons together in 2025, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky’s relationship has evolved through years of friendship, creative collaboration, and mutual support. Key milestones include their first public date night (Dec 2019), Rihanna’s pregnancy announcements and the births of sons RZA (May 2022) and Riot (Aug 2023), and constant public appearances. They have weathered media rumors (such as engagement buzz in 2025) and legal drama (Rocky’s 2025 trial), yet remain together as partners and parents
