Got A$AP Rocky and Rihanna‘s love on the brain? Join the club. Fans have been obsessing and speculating about the two stars being an item for years — ever since their chemistry nearly bubbled over during a saucy co-performance at the 2012 VMAs.
But it wasn’t until sometime in 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic hit, that the two would officially turn their friendship into a romance. “He became my family in that time,” the Fenty Beauty mogul revealed in her April 2022 Vogue cover story. “People don’t get out of the friend zone very easily with me. And I certainly took a while to get over how much I know him and how much he knows me, because we also know how much trouble we can land each other in.”
Part of their early love story includes a fateful road trip the two took together over the summer that year, driving from Los Angeles to New York. “I cooked our food on this little janky grill I bought from Walmart,” the “Umbrella” singer recalled to the publication. “I still have it, too. It works like nobody’s business.”
“I love the simple things but also the grand adventures,” she added. “There’s no pretentious my-brand-your-brand bulls–t, it’s just us living. I just feel like I can do any part of life by his side.”
Flash forward two years, and the pair would welcome their first child together, a baby boy named RZA born in May 2022, who wouldn’t remain an only child for long. In August 2023, a second son — named Riot Rose — came along, meanwhile Ri and Rocky’s romance only got stronger as they tackled parenthood.
“The love of my life,” the rapper called his partner in a 2021 interview with GQ. “[It’s] so much better when you got The One. She amounts to probably, like, a million of the other ones. I think when you know, you know. She’s The One.”
From flirty first performances to becoming parents of two boys, take a deeper look through A$AP Rocky and Rihanna’s romance below.
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September 2012: Rocky & Rihanna Perform At the MTV VMAs
Image Credit: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic Their performance might pinpoint the start of when fans began shipping these two. Rihanna opened the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards with a performance of “Cockiness (Love It)” before the one who declares he’s “that pretty motherf—a” stepped on stage to deliver a verse for the remix.
But the way he grabbed her backside, gave her a kiss on the neck and walked off made everyone think they found love in a hopeful place. -
March 2013: Rocky Joins Rihanna’s Diamonds Tour
Image Credit: Mike Lawrie/Getty Images Rocky accompanied Rihanna as the opening act of the North American leg of her Diamonds World Tour in spring 2013.
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September 2013: Rihanna Stars in Rocky’s “Fashion Killa” Music Video
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo RiRi did the honors of supporting Rocky by playing his love interest and fellow fashion aficionado in the September 2013 music video for “Fashion Killa,” in which he even raps, “Her attitude Rihanna/ She get it from her mama.”
But sure enough, she’d be his love interest in real life, too. More on that later. -
May 2015: Rocky Denies Relationship Rumors
Image Credit: Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty Images In a Hot 97 interview with Nessa, Rocky talked about the many women he’s been previously linked with, from former fiancée Chanel Iman to Rita Ora. But when it came to RiRi, he said their friendship was strictly platonic and nothing romantic ever happened between them.
“It never happened. If it happened, then it would have happened. We didn’t do that,” Rocky declared. “You never know. That’s not what I’m looking forward to. I’m looking forward to the friendship that I already have with all these females.” -
June 2018: They Attend Paris Fashion Week
Image Credit: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images From “Fashion Killa” to Paris Fashion Week, these two knew how to make an entrance when they sat front row together at Virgil Abloh’s Louis Vuitton Menswear Spring/Summer 2018 show.
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September 2019: Rocky Attends Rihanna’s Diamond Ball
Image Credit: Steven Ferdman/Getty Images Every year, Rihanna organizes the charitable Diamond Ball to benefit her Clara Lionel Foundation, which “supports and funds groundbreaking and effective education, health and emergency response programs around the world.”
And guess who also happened to shine bright like a diamond at her ball in 2019? Her soon-to-be Prince Charming. Although Rocky walked the red carpet solo, he had his now Cinderella-ella-ella on his arm months later. -
December 2019: They Walk the Red Carpet at British Fashion Awards
Image Credit: Neil Mockford/FilmMagic Rocky supported Rihanna at the 2019 British Fashion Awards at London’s Royal Albert Hall, where Janet Jackson(!!) presented her with the Urban Luxe award for her Fenty brand’s success in sportswear.
Rocky eventually told Rihanna several months later during a video interview cross-branded by GQ and Vogue that her mint green getup was his “favorite outfit” of hers, later explaining to GQ that he picked that look specifically because “I was there in person to see it on her.”
Even more romantic? She designed the Fenty tuxedo he wore to the British Fashion Awards.
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January 2020: Relationship Rumors Surface
Image Credit: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images At the top of 2020, the Bajan superstar was spotted at a New York City concert with Rocky shortly after splitting with her billionaire boyfriend of three years, Hassan Jameel. The show was a 2020 Yams Day concert in support of his late best friend and A$AP Mob founder, A$AP Yams, who died in 2015 from an accidental drug overdose.
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July 2020: Rocky Stars in Rihanna’s Fenty Skin Campaign
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo When RiRi announced her new skincare brand Fenty Skin ahead of its July 31 release date, she had a few famous faces to help her out: Rocky and Lil Nas X. Both MCs hopped on the promotional video, but she later shared a photo of just her and Rocky on her socials to emphasize the gender-inclusive element of her products.
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August 2020: RiRi & Rocky Interview Each Other
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo The two later hopped on “Face to Face” video interview for both GQ and Vogue about the beauty industry, their past fashion statements and why they work so well together — or don’t.
“I think the hardest part about working with you is not goofing off and laughing the whole time,” Rocky confessed. “This sh– is comedy. That’s the hardest part. We so cool, it’s just hard not to laugh, that’s all. But it was fun. Hardest part is not having too much fun, you just forget that it’s still work at the end of the day.” More like this s— is sweet! -
December 2020: They Spend Christmas in Barbados
Image Credit: Gareth Cattermole/BFC/Getty Images The duo were photographed in Rihanna’s native country of Barbados at Christmastime, where Rocky’s father emigrated from. The pair showed some PDA on a catamaran while also further testing the waters of their relationship, as well as the waters of the Caribbean sea with some inner tubing and jet skiing.
He told GQ that visiting the island felt like “a homecoming … It was crazy. I always imagined what it would be like for my dad, before he came to America. And I got to visit those places, and believe it or not, there was something nostalgic about it. It was foreign but familiar.”
When Rocky’s father died in late 2012, RiRi sent him her “most sincere condolences” on Twitter, even throwing up the hashtag #BajanBlood. -
April 2021: They Rock Leather At a Dinner Date
Image Credit: 007/Photographer Group/MEGA/GC Images The two leather-clad stars left Delilah restaurant in Los Angeles together in April, where RiRi rocked a long leather coat with a fur collar, strappy heels and black sunglasses, and the “Fashion Killa” artist followed her lead with a black leather jacket and matching leather pants and boots.
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May 2021: Rocky Confirms RiRi Is “the Love of My Life”
For his latest GQ cover story, the A$AP Mob member said the “You Da One” singer was “The One” for him. He also called Ri the “love my my life” and “my lady.”
The profile noted the rapper was “beaming like a teenager” when her name first came up. But when the notorious ladies man was asked what it was like to be in a committed monogamous relationship, he was all smiles. “So much better,” he said. “So much better when you got The One. She amounts to probably, like, a million of the other ones … I think when you know, you know. She’s The One.”
And seven years after they went on the Diamond World Tour, the two embarked on their own, intimate tour — a road trip across the U.S. He also revealed to GQ that he recorded some new music for his upcoming album in the mobile studio, which Rihanna is likely to be featured on.
“I think it’s important to have somebody that you can bounce those creative juices and ideas off of,” he said, confirming that she has “absolutely” influenced the album he refers to as his “ghetto love” tale. “It’s just a different point of view.” -
June 2021: Bye Bye, Shark?
Image Credit: James Devaney/GC Images Eagle-eyed fans noticed something missing when Ri hit the town with A$AP on June 23 — her shark tattoo. The singer had gotten the ink on her ankle to the match former flame Drake’s in 2016. Instead of the aquatic predator, fans noticed that a crown appeared to have been inked in its place.
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July 2021: Love on the Brain
Image Credit: Raymond Hall/GC Image Rihanna and A$AP Rocky were all smiles and cuddles while filming a music video in the Bronx on July 11, 2021, in New York City. See the PDA photos.
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January 2022: Baby on Board!
Image Credit: Gotham/GC Images Rihanna confirmed she’s pregnant with her and A$AP Rocky’s first child. In a set of photos by Shutterstock, the couple walk happily hand in hand in NYC, as the “Umbrella” singer shows off her bare baby bump in an unbuttoned pink winter coat.
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April 2022: Rihanna Talks A$AP and Baby in ‘Vogue’
Image Credit: Victor Boyko/GI for Gucci Rihanna appeared on the cover of Vogue and opened up about her relationship with A$AP, also sharing plans about where they may raise their child, whom she said wasn’t exactly planned, but also didn’t plan against. “Rocky asked me recently if I had a dream place, where would it be?” Ri shared. “I told him home, Barbados. I always imagined it being that way. But realistically it probably won’t be.”
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May 2022: Artistically Married
Image Credit: James Devaney/GC Images A$AP Rocky dropped the music video for “DMB,” which stars Rihanna and was filmed the year before. In the visual, the rapper proposes to his love via his blingy set of grills. Rihanna’s reply? An equally dazzling “I do” with a flash of her own smile, with the video showing the two walking down the aisle.
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May 2022: Rihanna Gives Birth
Image Credit: Rich Fury/GI for Fenty Beauty Rihanna has given birth to her and A$AP Rocky’s first child, according to reports from TMZ and People on May 19. The couple have yet to confirm the news themselves.
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September 2022: Partying in NYC
Image Credit: Shareif Ziyadat/GI Rocky hosted a Rolling Loud afterparty at New York City’s 42 d’Or nightclub on Sept. 24, and Ri was there by his side throughout the night. The two were spotted cuddling up, holding hands and whispering in each other’s ears.
One day later, Ri would confirm news that she was scheduled to play the Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2023.
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October 2022: ‘Black Panther’ Premiere
Image Credit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic Rihanna and A$AP Rocky showed up at Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever premiere in matching tan outfits with twin long trains dragging behind them. The couple was there in celebration of the song Ri recorded for the film’s soundtrack, “Lift Me Up,” which marked her return to music after a six-year hiatus.
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February 2023: The Big … Pregnancy Reveal!
Image Credit: Gregory Shamus/GI Rihanna used her 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show to announce that she was pregnant with her second child. The superstar wore a curve-hugging shirt under an unzipped jumpsuit that put her baby bump on display.
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August 2023: Family of Four
Image Credit: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Ri and A$AP welcomed their second son, whose name was later revealed to be Riot Rose. The newborn arrived just a year and three months after big brother RZA.
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November 2023: Family Man
Image Credit: GWR/Star Max/GC Images The rapper revealed in an interview with Complex that his favorite collaborations with Ri are none other than the couple’s two boys. “I think we do a real great job at collaborating and making children. I think that’s our best creation so far. Nothing is better than that out there, any design,” he shared. “We had a third designer come and help — a ghost designer named God and shaped everything and we had these beautiful angels.”
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April 2024: Rihanna Reflects on the Famous Butt Grab
Image Credit: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic While speaking to Interview, Rihanna had a big laugh about the famous VMAs butt grab that started it all. “When he grabbed my a– that night, everybody thought I was about to … my team was worried that I wanted to have his head on a f–king mantle,” she told the publication. “But I was like, ‘Ah, nah.’ That’s why everybody was like, ‘Oh my god. She likes him.’”
“We’ve known each other for a long time,” she added of their bond. “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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August 2024: Rocky Calls Ri His “Perfect Person”
Image Credit: Ruven Afanador Aside from Cocomelon overload thanks to their two boys, Rocky revealed in his 2024 Billboard cover story that his and Ri’s life as parents couldn’t be sweeter. “[The relationship] is going great,” he told deputy editorial director Damien Scott. “I don’t think there’s a more perfect person because when the schedules are hectic, she’s very understanding of that. And when the schedule’s freed up, that’s when you get to spend [the] most time together. It’s all understanding and compatibility.”
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October 2024: Rocky Says There’s a “Lot of History” Between Them
Image Credit: Robert Kamau/GC Images In a W Magazine cover story, Rocky was candid about the “lot of history” he shares with his partner, starting with the moment they first met: “I was kicked out of this nightclub … I was getting into it with the bouncers, and she came out. We just locked eyes. She didn’t even know us, but she was like, ‘Yo! Why y’all not letting him in? What’s wrong with you?! Let that man in!’”
Thus was the start of a beautiful friendship that eventually became something more, but Rocky added that he always knew they were destined to be together and become parents. “I knew from when we were younger,” he told the publication. “We both did, I think. So it was only right when we got older. We just kind of reconnected.”
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February 2025: Standing Together in Court
Image Credit: DUTCH/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images) Throughout Rocky’s three-week trial for his felony shooting case – during which the rapper stood accused of firing a gun twice at former friend A$AP Relli in 2021 and faced up to 24 years in prison – Ri was often present in the Los Angeles courtroom to show support. She was also the first person Rocky wanted to celebrate with when the jury decided in his favor, with the Harlem native immediately jumping over a railing and beelining toward her for a hug as soon as the not guilty verdict was read out. (Watch the moment here.)
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April 2025: Rocky’s Grandmother Loves Ri
Image Credit: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for Miu Miu Interviewed for Rocky’s Vogue cover story, the rapper’s grandmother, Cathy, only had high praise for her grandson’s partner. “I’m glad that he settled down, and I’m happy with who he settled down with,” she told the publication. “[Rihanna’s] a down-to-earth person.”
“She loves her some RiRi,” Rocky added of his grandmother.
