Are Rihanna and A$AP Rocky dating? A look at their relationship after they sparked romance rumors in Barbados
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky have been good friends for too long and, after years of staying at each other’s side, the two have been sparking romance rumors off late. The duo was most recently spotted in Barbados and if the sources from People magazine are to be believed, A$AP Rocky also joined Rihanna’s family for Christmas on the Caribbean island.
According to TMZ, the Grammy-nominated rapper and the ‘Umbrella’ hitmaker were also spotted on a jet ski in Barbados and apparently also indulged in a little PDA. They were spotted at a dinner recently in the same area. A source told People magazine, “They've been inseparable the past few weeks. It's a new relationship, but they both seem very into it.” Since a lot is apparently happening between the two, we dive deep into their relationship timeline.
The early years
Rocky was first featured in a 2012 remix of Rihanna’s single ‘Cockiness (Love It)', a song about the singer's sexual dominance over her partner. The rapper then joined the North American leg of Rihanna's Diamonds World Tour in 2013, where he performed as her opening act. It was here when rumors first sparked about these two dating. The rumors were rife in 2015 as well when the R&B crooner parted her ways with Chanel Iman.
Heading in different directions
The rumors of an affair between Rocky and Rihanna soon died after RiRi started dating Hassan Jameel while the rapper had his eyes on Kendall Jenner. Rihanna got into a serious relationship with Hassan, the Toyota heir, and a billionaire from Saudi Arabia. The two kept a low profile throughout their relationship whereas, Rocky was romantically linked to supermodel Kendall around the same time.
The friendship bond
In 2018, Rocky and Rihanna were papped together in the front row of a Louis Vuitton show during Paris Fashion Week, which explained how closely they maintained their friendship over the years. In the same year, Rihanna invited Rocky to her annual Diamond Ball. It is a charitable event, which lends support to the Clara Lionel Foundation, the organization she founded to support educational programs across the globe.
Interestingly, Rocky and Rihanna continued the tradition next year, as well as the duo, was again spotted at the Diamond Ball in September 2019. In December 2019, the now 32-year-old rapper hit the red carpet with RiRi at the British Fashion Awards in London. Rocky opted for the singer's fashion endeavors by stepping out in a black suit by Fenty.
Is love in the air?
Cut to January 2020, the news of Rihanna splitting with her long-time serious boyfriend Hassan makes it to the news. It wasn’t long when the rumors of Rihanna and Rocky dating started doing the rounds on the Internet again. A source spilled the beans to The Sun with the news that the rumored couple shared a room during a visit to New York, but “Rihanna [was] reluctant to put a label on it... so soon after Hassan [Jameel].”
The source added, “They’re really enjoying each other’s company and taking things easy as it’s still early days” and “It’s really casual between them and she’s not thinking about whether there’s a future with Rocky. She’s a newly-single girl having fun.”
The Barbadian singer then collaborated with Rocky to promote Fenty Skin in August 2020. She featured A$AP Rocky in her new gender-neutral skincare line, Fenty Skin campaign. The duo was also found doing several interviews together to promote the campaign. The rumored love birds were also spotted on a dinner date in November 2020 with their close friends in New York, just two days after Thanksgiving.