THE INTERNET THOUGHT IT WAS AWKWARD FOR A REASON 🚨 Tyla is finally speaking out after that viral moment with Rihanna at the Met Gala had people making all kinds of assumptions 😳 Fans spent days debating what really happened, but now her explanation is shifting the conversation completely… Still, people keep coming back to one specific detail from those few seconds 👀👇
After Footage Of Their Awkward Encounter Went Viral, Tyla Addressed Her Divisive Moment With Rihanna At The Met Gala
There were many awkward moments that occurred at this year’s Met Gala. But one in particular that has taken the internet by storm was the seemingly stiff encounter between Tyla and Rihanna.
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In viral footage that has been shared numerous times across social media, Tyla could be seen standing awkwardly near Rihanna, who was speaking with a reporter.
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Although it looks (to me) like she wasn’t even aware that Tyla was behind her, many internet users quickly accused Rihanna of completely ignoring the 24-year-old. You can watch the video here.
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Now, Tyla has addressed the viral encounter in a new TikTok video. She began by clearly stating, “Everyone knows I love Rih,” before revealing that she actually met the Fenty mogul previously.
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“I met her last year and she was cool… I met her, but I think she was occupied,” she revealed. “I went up to her, I was like, ‘Oh, hey!’ She was like, ‘Hey, um, my baby daddy’s calling me.’ And then she left.”
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Rihanna shares three kids with her longtime partner A$AP Rocky. It’s worth pointing out that at the 2026 Met Gala, several people speculated that Rihanna and A$AP — who later appeared in the video where Tyla was present — were arguing after they were filmed having a seemingly heated conversation in their ride after the event.
“I was like, ‘Oop.’ Maybe she was busy,” Tyla said. “I don’t know. I felt awkward.”
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Going on to discuss the recent Met, Tyla shared, “I felt awkward, I don’t know how to say hi. If I feel like someone’s busy, it’s like, mmm. So this time, I was waiting for my car and she was right there… I [didn’t] wanna go up, because I felt like she was busy.”
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She added, “If we do end up speaking ever, I want it to be, like, calm, so we both can just, you know, vibe, and talk nicely.”
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Tyla’s video has since racked up 2 million views on TikTok, and it has sparked some mixed reactions.
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Some people have questioned Tyla’s intentions with posting the video, arguing that it comes across as “very unprofessional” and “childish.”
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Another TikTok user said, “Girl she doesn’t owe you anything. Move on.”
But on the flip side, several people took no issue with Tyla’s video, instead praising the way she respected Rihanna’s boundaries. “so she saw rih was not in the mood and she respected her.. internet is really a mess because people blew this out of proportion. smh,” one comment read. “She saw that she was not in the mood and respected her,” someone else agreed.
@hernametyla / Via tiktok.com
