Rihanna is renowned for her style and impeccable fashion sense, yet a recent viral photo doesn’t quite align with her usual image.
Rihanna, the powerhouse behind Fenty Beauty and SAVAGE X Fenty, has established herself as a fashion icon. Initially gaining fame as a teenage singer, she has expanded her influence with brands that champion diversity and inclusion.
The Bajan star, a mother of three children—RZA, Riot, and Rocki—with partner A$AP Rocky, recently made headlines for an unexpected reason.
A meme account on Instagram, fembase, which boasts 542,000 followers, posted a 2011 image of Rihanna from her performance at V Festival.
Fans were disappointed that Rihanna hasn’t released new music since 2022 when she contributed ‘Lift Me Up’ to the “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” soundtrack.
Her latest stage performance was at the Super Bowl LVII halftime show in February 2023, where she revealed her second pregnancy with son Riot.
Typically, Rihanna would inspire with her fashion and beauty. However, the fembase Instagram account shared a photo of her with a bright red curly hairstyle during a performance, sporting a confused expression.
The meme account used the photo of the singer, now 37, for a post titled: “Women don’t realize how much their boyfriends love ‘bad’ photos of them,” dated Thursday, Nov. 20.
Upon its initial release, the photo went viral because it exposed a chin scar that was previously unnoticed. This time, the meme account used the image for a humorous purpose.
The lengthy fembase post caption 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 added: “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 took the post in stride, jokingly commenting three days later: “How I catch this stray tho?” from her Instagram handle @badgalriri.
Her comment on the post gained additional attention, with one Reddit user noting: “It kinda looks like her avatar.”
Rihanna had famously changed her Instagram avatar to a simple stick figure drawing representing 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 viral post followed a week after Rihanna and A$AP Rocky made headlines for their matching leather trench coats during a dinner outing.