Entertainment
Rihanna & A$AP Rocky's Relationship Timeline: From Flirty Friends To “The One”
The fashion-forward parents-to-be have been friends for a decade.
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky may try to keep things low-key, but their relationship is unfolding right before our eyes. The famously coy couple has been caught canoodling all over the map, from Los Angeles to Barbados and New York, and now, they’re parents-to-be! Read on for a breakdown of their romance.
September 2012: VMAs flirtation
Proving they’ve been flirty friends for a decade, A$AP joined Rihanna on stage for a performance of her song “Cockiness (Love It)” back in 2012, playfully grabbing her ass at the end of his verse before she pushed him away.
April 2013: A$AP denies dating rumors
A$AP, who was with Chanel Iman, denied rumors that he was dating Rihanna. "I'm just cool with her. I don't even look at her like that. She's sexy, but I'm good," he said. "That's really a friend...I got nothing but love for Rih Rih; that's the homie right there.”
September 23, 2013: “Fashion Killa” Video
Rocky dropped his “Fashion Killa” video featuring Rihanna as his leading lady. The line “She may never wear it/But she save it so our babies will be flyer than their parents” feels especially prescient.
December 2019: Red carpet debut
Later that year, A$AP and Rih, just before her confirmed breakup from billionaire Hassan Jameel, made their red carpet debut at the Fashion Awards in London.
July 21, 2020: A$AP appears in Fenty Skin Campaign
Rumors that Rihanna and A$AP were more than friends began shortly after he appeared in her Fenty Skin campaign. Rih also shared the image to her Instagram.
August 2020: Rih roasts A$AP’s style
Rihanna joined A$AP for an interview with GQ, and proceeded to roast the rapper’s past fashion sense — as you do in any good relationship.
December 2020: Spending the holidays together
Though Rihanna didn’t publicly confirm their relationship, she did invite A$AP to spend Christmas with her family in Barbados. People confirmed the event with a photo of the two on their way to a catamaran sunset cruise.
April 14, 2021: Drake and A$AP “not vibing”
Months later, they attended a private party at Delilah in LA. The night was going well, with the duo spotted holding hands, but an unexpected ex shook things up. Drake was there too, and according to an insider, he and Rocky were “not vibing.”
June 13, 2021: A$AP says Rihanna is in his doc
In June, A$AP told Entertainment Tonight that Rihanna will appear in his new documentary. The film reportedly “tells his truth,” so maybe we’ll finally learn what united these lovebirds in the first place.
June 23-4, 2021: Getting carded in NYC
Rih and A$AP enjoyed a classic night out on the town in NYC, getting carded at Barcade. Rih apparently forgot her ID, and A$AP was seen arguing with security in her defense. The two eventually were let inside and enjoyed a PDA-filled evening.
June 24, 2021: Rih covers up her shark tattoo
Photos of the couple from that night show that Rihanna had covered up the matching shark tattoo she got with Drake — and with that, confirmed their on-again, off-again relationship is finally a thing of the past.
September 13, 2021: Late to the Met Gala
Noted Met Gala queen Rih showed up at the very end of the red carpet with Rocky in tow, with Rih wearing all black Balenciaga and ASAP in a quilt coat by by Eli Russell Linnetz. The pair gave cozy chic a whole new meaning.
January 31, 2022: Parents-to-be
Rih and Rocky announced the upcoming birth of their first child with photos shot in Harlem. Rih wore a vintage Chanel pink puffer coat and jeans, with her belly bump poking out in the winter snow. Congratulations to the happy couple!