Rihanna is known for a lot of things, but mincing her words? Not so much. The Bajan pop queen has proven time and time again that she doesn't take any crap from anybody. Unfortunately, this also includes her biggest supporters.
For the most part, that fiery attitude is admirable. But a closer look into the history of Rihanna's snark, there may have been times that, maybe, the singer has crossed the line (especially when it comes to her fans.) The famous saying goes: if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all, but it seems like Rihanna, on occasion, might have missed that memo.
Rihanna Has Some Frenemies In The Industry
Believe it or not, way back when, Rihanna and Katy Perry were once BFFs. At one point, they were so close that Rihanna even threw Perry a bachelorette party when Perry married comedian Russell Brand in 2010.
Well, something must have happened between the two because one would think they're strangers. Perhaps, even enemies.
In 2018, when Rihanna hosted the Met Gala, reportedly, Perry was not on the guest list for the exclusive after-party.
Maybe, it was the back-handed compliment that Perry gave highlighting Rihanna's favorite pastimes that triggered their demise.
In a 2013 interview, Perry pointed out Rihanna’s love for a certain green herb; “I think Rihanna always looks so fresh, and I'm like, 'How do you do that? We all know how much pot you smoke!”
In another interview, Perry talked about toning down her looks in recent music videos.
"Maybe I'm just getting a little bit older, and as you get older you realize, 'Oh I don't know if I can pull that off anymore,'" Perry said.
"I mean, if I had Rihanna's body I would wear everything that Rihanna wears because she looks fabulous in all of it."
Well, the zings kept coming. A few years later, Rihanna clapped back at Perry’s American Idol gig when asked if she would try something similar.
Her answer? “Oh, I don’t know. Depends on how bored I am.”
Is Rihanna Nice To Her Fans?
Okay, so standing up to potentially toxic industry frenemies might get a snark pass, but when a superstar throws harsh burns to fans? That might be crossing the line.
When Rihanna fan, Alexis Carter, wore an emerald green jumpsuit inspired by the singer to her prom, the reaction she expected was probably a lot different from the negative viral attention she received.
Carter was excited to rock the outfit and received compliments for her red-carpet-like look from her peers. It was a joyous occasion, until Rihanna decided to comment.
Instead of appreciating, Rihanna posted across social media mocking the sixteen-year-old fan and her outfit. To add insult to injury, Rihanna even added a hashtag, #PromBat to one of her posts.
Regarding the incident, Carter responded, “I was very offended. Why throw shade on it when you had on the exact same thing. The poses was different, but the outfit wasn't.”
Carter added, “She don't love her fans like she says she does.”
Clearly, Rihanna doesn't think that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. She seems to hate it when fans replicate her look.
Rihanna Often Feuds With Other Singers
Another feud of Rihanna's featured another industry counterpart.
When singer Ciara mentioned in an interview that, while she was a fan of Rihanna, the in-person meeting she had with her went a little differently. “It wasn’t the most pleasant run-in,” Ciara revealed.
Let's just say, Rihanna did not take that well, and geared up for a Twitter attack. "My bad, Ci, did I forget to tip you," Rihanna wrote.
Not appreciating the snark, Ciara responded, "Trust me, Rihanna, you don't want to see me on or off the stage."
The sass queen then replied, "Good luck with booking that stage you speak of."
Exasperated, the Goodies singer wrote on her account, “pure comedy..."
Eventually, Rihanna caved and apologized, "Ciara baby, I love you girl! You hurt my feelings real bad on TV! I'm heartbroken! That's why I retaliated this way! So sorry!"
Sometimes Rihanna's Snark Is Understandable
Figures in the public eye have to deal with all kinds of strangers on the Internet commenting about their personal lives. Behind keyboards, these so-called fans sometimes find one too many ways to cross the line.
In one instance, a fan commented, “Ur forehead shines brighter than my future.”
Not one to take things lying down, Rihanna sassed back, “There’s still hope for you then.”
While most times, Rihanna's snark loses its humor with its recipients and the audience. But this time, it might be one of the few instances Rihanna gets a hall pass for snarking back.
Nobody likes comments about personal things. Though, she can cool it sometimes, especially with admiring fans.
