In a time when most artists can barely keep the plans for their new album private, Rihanna managed to have a baby and not let the public find out for six whole days. According to TMZ, the superstar and fashion mogul gave birth to her and A$AP Rocky’s first child, a baby boy, on May 13 in L.A. This marks the first kid for both musicians. We don’t have many clues to go on as far as names, but an US Weekly piece indicated she wants to choose a name that celebrates her Barbados heritage.
The couple didn’t announce that Rihanna was pregnant until January 31, doing so with an impeccably styled, if thermally questionable photoshoot in New York. In the ensuing months, the pair hit a handful of high-profile events and red carpets, including several for Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty line, the Super Bowl in Los Angeles, and at an Off-White show, always dressed exceedingly well.
The pregnancy period hasn’t all been smooth though, as Rocky was arrested in mid-April in connection with a November 2021 L.A. shooting. At the time of his arrest, Rocky had just gotten back to the U.S. after spending time with Rihanna in Barbados. Rocky subsequently posted bail, and since then the two sparked rumors that they secretly got married in the video for “D.M.B.,” Rocky’s first solo single in over two years. During the clip, he’s shown wearing a grill that says “MARRY ME,” while hers reads “I DO.”
In a March 2022 interview with Elle, Rihanna said the best parenting tip she’d received was “to sleep now because I won’t get much later.” Let’s hope she wound up heeding that advice.