Rihanna and ASAP Rocky have reportedly welcomed their second child together.
On Monday (21 August), TMZ reported that the “Diamonds” singer gave birth to a baby boy earlier this month. According to the outlet, the newest addition arrived on 3 August in Los Angeles.
While the newborn’s name has yet to be revealed, TMZ reported that it starts with an R like his older brother, RZA Athelaston Meyers.
Rihanna announced she was pregnant for the second time during her 2023 Super Bowl halftime show performance in February. The “Umbrella” singer took to the Super Bowl halftime show stage at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, where she wore a bright red jumpsuit with a red bodysuit underneath. After she was spotted rubbing her stomach during the performance, which many viewers suggested indicated a pregnancy bump, a representative for the Fenty Beauty founder confirmed the pregnancy speculation in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.
The latest baby news comes just one year after she and partner A$AP Rocky - whose real name is Rakim Athelaston Mayers - welcomed their son RZA in May 2022. To mark their son’s first birthday, the “Praise the Lord” rapper posted a series of sweet photographs of their growing family on Instagram.
“Wu Tang iz 4 da churen [sic]. Happy first birthday to my firstborn. Rza [red heart emoji],” he captioned his post, which included several candid family moments with Rocky, Rihanna, and RZA over the past year.
After welcoming their first child together, both Rihanna and Rocky were protective over photographs of their son, and chose not to immediately reveal his name - which was chosen after Wu-Tang Clan leader RZA.
In a cover story for British Vogue’s March 2023 issue, Rihanna explained how she has shielded her son from the spotlight. “I just went straight into protective mode. Like there wasn’t even time for rage,” she said, recalling one moment when photos of her son were taken by paparazzi without her consent. “As parents it just feels so icky, like a violation.”
“It’s the thing you never want to happen,” Rihanna added, as she reflected on the possibility that the world could see photos of her son without her permission. As parents, Rihanna said she believes it’s within their right to introduce their child on their own terms.
“We get to decide as parents when and how we do that,” she said. “End of story.”
Back in May, the Savage X Fenty designer gave fans an update on how her second pregnancy was coming along. While speaking to E! News on the Met Gala red carpet, Rihanna shared that her second pregnancy has been “so different” from her first. “Just everything. All of… no cravings, tons of nausea, everything is different,” she continued, before adding: “But, I’m enjoying it. I’m enjoying it. I feel good, I feel energetic.”
The Independent has contacted representatives for Rihanna and A$AP Rocky for comment.
