Rihanna and A$AP Rocky have reportedly welcomed their second child together.
The A-list couple, who have been together since 2020, “secretly” welcomed another baby boy earlier this month, TMZ reported on Monday (21 August). According to the outlet, the newest addition arrived on 3 August in Los Angeles.
The baby’s arrival marks Rihanna and Rocky’s second time becoming new parents; the two welcomed their son RZA Athelaston Meyers in May 2022. Now, it’s rumoured that their youngest son’s name also begins with an R, keeping with a familiar pattern.
The billionaire beauty mogul has yet to publicly comment on the arrival of her second child. However, it may be some time before fans will learn their youngest son’s name, as Rihanna and Rocky waited almost one year before announcing RZA’s Wu-Tang Clan-inspired moniker.
Here’s everything we know about Rihanna and A$AP Rocky’s growing family.
Rihanna announced she was pregnant for the second time during her 2023 Super Bowl halftime show performance in February. The “Diamonds” singer took to the stage at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, where she wore a bright red jumpsuit with a red bodysuit underneath. She was spotted rubbing her stomach during the performance, which led many viewers to suggest that she was pregnant yet again. A representative for the Fenty Beauty founder later confirmed that she was indeed expecting.
Shortly after TMZ reported on Monday that Rihanna had given birth to her second child, sources confirmed the baby news to People and Entertainment Tonight. “Rihanna and A$AP will spend the early days of parenthood out of the public eye and won’t make any immediate plans to debut the new baby,” one source told ET on Monday.
“Rihanna and A$AP are great right now,” another source said. “They’re so excited to grow their family and are so united when it comes to parenting. They have so much fun together and are very in love. They already shared a special connection and parenting together has made their bond even stronger.”
One insider added that the Fenty Beauty founder may choose to debut her youngest baby on Instagram or at her annual Clara Lionel Foundation gala, the non-profit organisation she founded in 2012 to fund climate education and emergency preparedness.
It wouldn’t be out of character for Rihanna to share the first photos of her newborn to social media, seeing as she gave fans a first-ever glimpse at her son RZA on TikTok. Last December, the “Umbrella” singer posted a video of RZA sitting in a car seat and playing with his mother’s phone. “Hacked,” she captioned the sweet clip, which now has more than 30 million views.
However, Rihanna later revealed that posting the TikTok video of her son was a forced decision, after paparazzi had allegedly snapped photos of RZA without her consent.
“I just went straight into protective mode. Like there wasn’t even time for rage,” Rihanna told British Voguein February for the magazine’s March 2023 issue. “As parents it just feels so icky, like a violation.”
Rihanna explained how she and the rapper came together to discuss how they wanted to handle photos of their son potentially being leaked to the press. “As we were speaking, we knew they were making calls and deals,” she recalled.
The couple sprung into action when they decided to send some candid photos of RZA to celebrity gossip blog, Hollywood Unlocked. She also joined TikTok, where she posted the now-viral video of her baby boy gurgling, smiling, and playing with his mother’s phone.
“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, Rihanna 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.”
During her first pregnancy, Rihanna revealed that tiredness was one of her most surprising pregnancy symptoms. Speaking to Extra at the time, she described feeling “really great – tired at times, on and off, which I am not used to”.
“I can fight through any hour of the night, but now it’s, like, putting me down: ‘No, you go to bed right now,’” Rihanna said.
She also spoke about how pregnancy has caused a shift in how she views her body. “Usually when I’m on the red carpet and my tummy is a little big it’s a problem," she said, adding: “Yes! Crop top season! Lettin’ it all out."
Meanwhile, the Ocean’s 8 star shared that her then six-month-old son was in the “cuddly stage” prior to becoming a big brother. “He is funny, he’s happy – and he’s fat! He’s amazing. It’s a real cuddly stage right now,” Rihanna told People last November.
The couple recently celebrated their son RZA’s first birthday. In May, the rapper posted several candid photographs of himself with Rihanna and RZA over the past year. The first photo showed the family sitting on a beach towel as Rihanna kissed her partner on the cheek, while their baby beamed at the camera.
The second snap showed the family all dressed up for an event, with Rocky and Rihanna dressed in matching leather outfits and RZA sporting oversized Dior sunglasses. Another candid photo showed Rocky taking a mirror selfie while Rihanna pulled a funny face in the background as she held up their baby boy. Other snaps saw Rocky holding his son and smiling widely, and playing with him on the grass.
The Independent has contacted representatives for Rihanna and A$AP Rocky for comment.
