Tyla and Rihanna's awkward exchange goes viral
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Tyla and Rihanna's awkward exchange goes viral

Updated | By Tamlyn Canham

Tyla is sharing her side of the story after a viral video shows Rihanna seemingly snubbing her at a recent event.

Tyla Vogue interview
Tyla/ Vogue (YouTube)

The expensive shoes are back in the closet, and the designer dresses have been returned, but the Met Gala drama rages on.

A video from this week's event has surfaced online showing an awkward encounter between 'Water' hitmaker Tyla and Rihanna. The pair appeared to be waiting for their cars after the gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

In the clip, Tyla can be seen standing a few feet from Rihanna, who appears to be ignoring her.

The 24-year-old South African singer hangs back while Riri chats to the man recording the video.

Tyla is only visible for a split second at the beginning of the clip, but it was enough to raise eyebrows.

"What’s Rihanna’s beef with Tyla?" one person asked on X.

Another person joked: "They don't call her the 'Bad Girl Riri' for nothing."

Tyla has made no secret of her love for Rihanna, and many felt sorry for her after the alleged snub.

"She seems like a sweet fan who wanted to talk to someone she admires. We get it."

Some felt the whole thing was blown out of proportion, adding that if Rihanna was upset with anyone, it was her partner A$AP Rocky.

The couple, who have three children together, attended the Met Gala together.

The rapper is seen in the background, chatting to a group of women, while Rihanna stands alone.

Some social media users claim she looked pissed.

"Asap was in another woman’s face & Rih was watching, that's why she wasn’t even noticing Tyla."

Tyla took to social media to explain what really happened. "Everyone knows I love Ri," she said in a video.

The Grammy award winner says she actually met Rihanna in 2025, and "she was cool".

"I met her, but I think she was occupied... I went up to her, and I was like 'hey'."

She says Rihanna said hi back, then promptly announced that her baby daddy was calling and rushed off to take the call.

Tyla admits feeling awkward because she does not know how to approach other stars if they look busy.

When their paths crossed again at the Met Gala, Tyla was hoping to finally chat to her music idol, but chose not to.

"This time, I was waiting for my car, and she was right there. I didn't want to go up because I felt like she was busy, and the last time she was busy."

That explains why she was standing off to the side, as if she were waiting outside the principal's office.

Despite not getting the chance to speak to Rihanna again, Tyla still has hope.

"If we do end up speaking ever, I want it to be like calm, so we both can just vibe," she said.

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky fight

Shortly after her interaction with Tyla, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky were spotted in a Sprinter van having a tense conversation.

One X user suggested that the 'Umbrella' singer was upset that A$AP Rocky left her to chat with a mystery girl.

"Rihanna didn't spend 3 hours in hair and makeup to be left standing like a backup singer," an X user wrote.

"If he really left her to chat with a mysterious girl while she was doing her job on that carpet, the side eye was definitely deserved!

Others brushed off the exchange as a "normal thing for couples", while others speculated that they were just tired after a long day.

That wasn't the only drama that went down at the Met Gala. Kris Jenner bumped into her daughter Kendall Jenner's ex-boyfriend, Bad Bunny.

Social media users joked that the momager gave Bad Bunny a church hug after not recognising him at first because he was dressed as an elderly man.

Blake Lively's surprise appearance at the Met Gala, just hours after settling her lengthy legal battle over the 'It Ends With Us' movie, also divided the internet.

While most people agreed that she looked gorgeous in her Versace gown, others accused her of being rude to the staff trying to help with her train on the red carpet.

The Met Gala was also dubbed the 'Tacky Bezos Ball' in protest of its main sponsors, billionaire Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sánchez.

Anti-Bezos protests were held in New York ahead of the gala, with many expressing disgust over their alleged $10 million contribution.

Protestors called for celebrities to boycott the event and stand up against wealth inequality. Some held up signs that read 'tax the rich' and 'billionaires for a dead planet'.

A group called Everyone Hates Elon reportedly hid 300 bottles of fake urine with the billionaire's face on them inside the museum.

"The Met Gala is literally The Hunger Games," one person said.

Check out all the clips causing a stir online below.

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Imade credit: YouTube/Vogue

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