Rihanna is dishing on why she was a bit hesitant to start a relationship with her now-partner, A$AP Rocky.
Speaking with Interview, the Fenty Beauty mogul and singer opened up about how she and the rapper went from pals to parents together after first meeting in 2012.
“We saw fashion the same. We saw creative the same. We ended up in the same circles a lot,” Rihanna said in the interview, published Tuesday. “And past that, when we grew up, we ended up supporting each other’s brands and products and creative all the time. I would wear his s**t, he would show up to my launches.”
Though they’d “known each other for a long time,” the pop star revealed that their tight-knit bond didn’t turn romantic until the end of 2019, after both of them had dated people over the years.
“I’ve seen him in relationships. He’s seen me in relationships. We’ve seen each other outside of relationships,” she said.
The “Diamonds” singer went on to explain that they both knew if they took their friendship to the next level, it could either go amazingly well or horribly wrong.
“We knew what we’re capable of, and the trouble that we could bring to each other’s lives. We can make or break each other’s hearts. And so, we started dating with a lot of caution,” she continued.
People confirmed Rihanna and A$AP’s relationship in November 2020.
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Rihanna added, “I just let whatever was supposed to happen, happen. It was just, ‘This is a flower. It’s either going to die or blossom. But I’m going to let it decide itself.’ ”
She credited the COVID-19 pandemic for helping them grow closer before welcoming their first son, RZA, in May 2022.
“COVID sped up our relationship, which I felt like God knew we needed, because we were going to start a family,” Rihanna recalled. “And had it not been for COVID, we would’ve taken a lot more time to get comfortable with each other, to even know that we were ready.”
The pair later welcomed their second son, Riot, in August 2023.
Elsewhere in the interview, Rihanna gushed about how “great” it feels to be with someone who believes in her parenting capabilities.
“In previous relationships, I tried and tried and tried my best, and you still feel like it’s not enough,” the Savage X Fenty founder said. “So when someone sees you completely, and believes in you, and thinks you’re worthy of being the mother of their kids, it’s a great feeling. I felt the same about him. I knew he would be a great dad.”