Rumors are swirling online about alleged tension between Rihanna and A$AP Rocky at the 2026 Met Gala, but new details may help clear some things up.
The 38-year-old Fenty Beauty mogul and the 37-year-old rap superstar hit the carpet together on Monday evening (May 4) at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
Why Fans Thought Rihanna Was Upset
A viral video sparked speculation online that Rihanna might have been rubbed the wrong way about A$AP speaking to a woman on the carpet, but further investigation suggests otherwise.
The woman turns out to be Italian fashion designer and stylist Giovanna Battaglia Engelbert, who has known Rihanna for years and has “a lot of respect” for her, sources tell TMZ.
Not only that, but the video apparently doesn’t even show their full interaction, which reportedly began with Rihanna talking to Giovanna first, and the two “were laughing together before she continued the conversation with Rocky nearby.”
Giovanna was “joking around with Rocky about his necklace while Rihanna handled an interview a few feet away,” per the report.
Another Viral Video Fueled More Rumors
The theories heated up online after another video surfaced of the two having what appeared to be an emotional discussion inside their vehicle after the event.
Some people speculated that they were upset with each other about the carpet interaction, but TMZ is told as far as that exchange, “there was nothing going on here besides Met Gala small talk.”
See more from the couple’s fashionably late arrival at the 2026 Met Gala.
Posted To:2026 Met Gala ASAP Rocky Giovanna Battaglia Engelbert Met Gala Rihanna