Rihanna and A$AP Rocky did not fall in love overnight; it has instead been quite a roller coaster.
Their romance was years in the making, based on friendship, musical collabs, and deep admiration. It’s a love story that spans over a decade, turning from casual chemistry into a tight-knit family unit with two children. Here’s a full breakdown of their relationship journey from the early 2010s to now.
2012: First Meeting and Early Collaborations
Rihanna and Rakim “A$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
Their relationship only deepened in 2013. He signed on to open her Diamonds World Tour for the North American leg back in March, which definitely provided ample opportunity for the two to bond behind closed doors. Rihanna then appeared as Rocky’s love interest in his “Fashion Killa” video, which dropped September 25. The fashionable visuals placed them as a couple, dripping in designer pieces with flirtatious appeal. Their on-screen chemistry was undeniable, which created even more buzz about whether or not art was imitating life.
Source – people.com
2018 – 2019: Fashion Week & First Red Carpet
Well into the late 2010s, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky remained fast friends and frequently popped up together at big fashion events. In June 2018, they sat front-row at Louis Vuitton’s menswear show during Paris Fashion Week, creating a head-turning splash with their style and easy camaraderie. Just months later, in September, Rocky returned the favor and was on hand to support Rihanna at her Diamond Ball charity gala. At the time, these public spottings pointed to a strong friendship-nothing more.
But by December 2019, things started to take a noticeable turn. The two made their first red carpet appearance together at the British Fashion Awards, arriving arm-in-arm and fueling fresh speculation. Rocky even sang Rihanna’s praises when it came to her fashion sense in press interviews that night. According to Vogue, they had quietly made things official by the end of that year, finally turning years of friendship into something more intimate.
Source – people.com
2020: Business Collaborations and Confirmation of Dating
In 2020, things got a lot deeper between close friends Rihanna and A$AP Rocky. The year started with a major business move: Rocky fronted Rihanna’s first Fenty Skin campaign in Augustpeople.com. Throughout last year, the chemistry was palpable during their joint interviews with GQ and Vogue; the pair joked around with each other, asking fast-fire questions and charming fans with their natural ease.
Meanwhile, Rihanna’s January split from billionaire Hassan Jameel ignited rumors of a romance. By November 2020, People confirmed what everyone had pretty much assumed: Rihanna and Rocky were officially dating. A source spilled that they had taken things very slow and started to date this fall, following years of mutual admiration. Rihanna later told a 2024 Interview Magazine profile that they began dating “at the end of 2019” and proceeded “with a lot of caution.”
By December, the two were already traveling together. Rocky joined Rihanna in Barbados for Christmas 2020, spending the holiday 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$AP Rocky’s romance wasn’t being kept under wraps; it was in full bloom for everyone to see. The singer subtly showed her love for Rocky in January by posting a glam shot on Instagram wearing crystal-studded shoes designed by his AWGE collective, reports people.com. It was, for sure, a quiet nod to both his fashion sense and their growing bond.
Then, in May, Rocky brought their love full-on out of the closet. In a GQ cover interview he called Rihanna “the love of my life” and “the one,” adding, “I think when you know, you know.” He also spoke about wanting to be a “very fly” dad, giving fans a glimpse into his dreams of a future family people.com. Rihanna, too, had expressed her maternal hopes in a 2020 British Vogue interview saying she definitely wanted kids – “three or four of ’em” – whether or not she had a partner.
But the moment that really solidified them as a couple came on September 13, 2021. The two made their debut at the Met Gala, stopping traffic in bold, coordinated looks: Rihanna wore a dramatic black Balenciaga coat-dress, and Rocky draped himself in a bright quilted cape-people.com. The red carpet wasn’t just a fashion statement, but it was in many ways an announcement-this was love, and here to stay.
Source – people.com
2022: Pregnancy and First Child (RZA)
2022 kicked off with a bang for Rihanna and A$AP Rocky-quite literally, baby news that sent the internet into overdrive. On January 31, paparazzi caught glimpses of Rihanna casually strutting around New York with a pretty evident bump. The stylish reveal quickly turned into an official announcement: the couple was expecting their first child.
Before long, the parents-to-be were popping up everywhere, serving up love and matching style. On February 11, they wowed on the red carpet at a Fenty Beauty Universe event in Los Angeles, unsuspectingly matching in purple and green ensembles; Rihanna later joked on her Instagram Story that it wasn’t on purpose, of course. The next evening, they dropped by Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty store in Culver City, grinning from ear to ear in front of the Valentine’s Day-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 when 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 released 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, the moment tided fans over: 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 to share his vision for fatherhood: he wanted to raise creative, “very cool” kids and always remind them to “never lose their imagination.”
For the remainder of the year, Rihanna and Rocky settled into parenthood but still continued to turn heads. In August, they casually strolled through New York City in laid-back, coordinating streetwear. In September, Rihanna joined Rocky for the launch of his Mercer & Prince whiskey line and the pair appeared cuddled up and on the same page in photos. On October 2, Rocky celebrated his 34th birthday with an intimate dinner in West Hollywood. The couple went glamorous later that month as they stepped out at the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever premiere – Rihanna’s emotional track “Lift Me Up” was featured on the movie’s soundtrackpeople.com.
By year’s end, Rihanna spoke to the media about Rocky’s behind-the-scenes role in her life. She dubbed him her “biggest supporter” and said his encouragement was a major reason she said yes to headlining the 2023 Super Bowl halftime show.
Source – people.com
2023: Second Pregnancy and Baby Riot
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky are kicking 2023 off as a bonafide power couple, first hitting the Golden Globes side by side on Jan. 10. Nominated for Best Original Song, Rihanna had Rocky right by her side all night. Days later, Rocky gushed to Apple Music about her upcoming Super Bowl halftime performance, describing it as “huge” and admitting, “I’m more excited than everybody else”people.com.
That excitement reached new highs on February 12, 2023, during Super Bowl LVII when Rihanna took center stage and left the world speechless with the debut of her second pregnancy mid-performance. The red outfit. The bump. The confident strut. It all confirmed the rumors in unforgettable style. 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 landed the cover of British Vogue’s March issue for their first family photoshoot. During the interview for the feature, Rihanna called parenthood “transformative” and said that RZA brought them and Rocky closer. “We’re best friends with a baby,” she explained.
The couple had kept mostly under wraps in the months directly after the Super Bowl. Rihanna celebrated her 35th birthday on Feb. 20 with a quiet dinner in Santa Monica. Then, on May 1 they made their typically statement-making entrance at the Met Gala. Rihanna was glowing and overtly pregnant in an all white Valentino gown complete with a dramatic floral cape. Of course, the couple arrived fashionably late and swiped the showpeople.com
Back in July, Rocky hinted that he and Rihanna have more in store beyond music. Speaking to Complex, he said that he was “always down to collab” with Rihanna, teasing everything from kids’ products to other ventures.
The next big moment would be the birth of the second child. Rihanna gave birth in August 2023-exactly confirmed publicly on August 28-to another baby boy, whom they had named Riot Rose. According to sources close to the couple, 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 photo shoot showing Rihanna cuddling Riot while Rocky carried big brother RZA on his shoulders. It was effortless, loving, and pure joy-people.com
By the end of the year, Rihanna couldn’t say enough good things about her family. This December 2023, the singer gushed to Page Six that watching Rocky in full dad mode is “a turn on,” while both Riot and RZA are “obsessed” with him. She described him as a “great, patient, loving” father, which would appear to cement 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 have started 2024 with the best vibes, enjoying life to the fullest as companions, parents, and collaborators. At the end of February, both were spotted in Venice, Italy, celebrating Rihanna’s 36th birthday in great style. Paparazzi were able to snap shots of them as they fled under an umbrella but not before they had enjoyed a romantic gondola ride through the Grand Canal, kissing, laughing, and just soaking in the magic of this city together. But it wasn’t all romance on the trip. Back stateside, the two proved once again that love and business mix just fine.
On February 28, 2024, they released a chic short film for Fenty Skin to debut 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 tail. Equal parts cinematic and cheeky, the promo was a nod to their chemistry-and their growing empirepeople.com.
Source – people.com
Early 2025: Rumors of Engagement and Legal Victory
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky kicked off 2025 with both high-stakes courtroom drama and major relationship speculation. In February, Rocky finally went before a jury in Los Angeles for a 2021 assault charge; Rihanna was staunchly by his side, making headlines for her stalwart presence in the courtroom-front-row on January 29, and even bringing their sons along on at least one occasion
. On February 18, Rocky was acquitted of all felony charges, and when the verdict came in, he embraced Rihanna and their family in an emotional courtroom moment-. No long after the legal dust settled, the internet lit up with engagement rumors. In April, Rihanna dropped a new Savage X Fenty bridal campaign-and it wasn’t just the lacy looks getting attention. The superstar was photographed rocking a massive diamond ring on that.
The dreamy, wedding-inspired shoot instantly sparked fan theories that she and Rocky may have secretly gotten engaged. Adding fuel to the fire, Rocky had been referring to Rihanna as his “wife” in interviews of late, which only raised more eyebrowselle.com. As of May 5, 2025, neither of them has confirmed any wedding plans-but between the ring, the bridal shoot, and their public affection, fans are fully convinced that wedding bells may be ringing soon.
Source – people.com
Summary: In the timeline of their relationship, which has grown over years of friendship, creative collaboration, and mutual support since meeting in 2012, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky are raising two sons together in 2025.
The milestones include their first public date night in Dec 2019, Rihanna’s pregnancy announcements and the births of sons RZA in May 2022 and Riot in Aug 2023, and constant public appearances. They have also weathered media rumors such as the 2025 engagement buzz and legal drama like Rocky’s 2025 trial but are still together as partners and parents.
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