Rita Ora has addressed rumours of a feud with Rihanna in a new interview special with documentarian Louis Theroux.
Both artists were signed to Roc Nation, the record label owned by Jay Z, though reports of an alleged falling out have circulated for years.
In 2015, Ora sued the label in order to be released from her contract, claiming that she had only been permitted to release one album, despite creating multiple other records.
Roc Nation countersued, before both parties reached a settlement in May 2016.
Ora spoke about the experience in the next episode of Louis Theroux Interviews...
“Why wasn’t the music coming out?” Theroux asked her, per a preview in Metro.
“I don’t know,” Ora responded. “I was recorded for two or three years straight. There was a whole moment that was about to happen, I recorded a music video and they scrapped it. I felt really disappointed, like I’d let them down.”
“It’s been reported that all the music was going to Rihanna – she was obviously the most established artist – she was getting first refusal on all the music and she’d sit on songs that had been written,” Theroux said. “Either way the result was you couldn’t get a look at it and she had a problem with you.”
“I can’t speak for other people but I think publicly they always put women against each other. I’ve been nothing but a fan and respectful of her and I always will be.”
The Independent has contacted a representative of Rihanna for comment.
Louis Theroux Interviews… continues on BBC Two on Tuesday 29 November at 9.30pm.
