Rihanna has been in the limelight for over a decade, and during this time she’s transformed from an innocent pop princess to an authentic and outspoken idol; but she’s had her fair share of heartbreaks, crazy moments and shocking scenes that have been rolled out on social media for the world to see.
From stripping off on Instagram to being thrown out of a holy place, Bad Gal Riri isn’t a star that’s shy of showing her wild side and true colors. To celebrate the Fenty queen’s savage side, we’ve listed 20 of Rihanna’s craziest and most controversial moments…
1. Smoking Weed and Sharing it to the World
If there’s one true fact about Rihanna, it’s that she’s no stranger to marijuana, and she makes that loud and clear on social media, too. The R&B hitmaker hasn’t shied away from posting several snaps of herself smoking weed on Instagram. Proving herself not so much of a good role model, RiRi often publicly shows off her support for 420 – the international celebration for weed.
2. Being Banned from Instagram for Nudity
Whether you admire her or not, Rihanna is notoriously famous for her nudity and comfort in her own skin, (I mean, check out her Lui photoshoot) but the Anti star took it too far and even got banned from Instagram for posting a naked picture of herself sat in front of a fireplace. In true savage style, the popstar didn’t drop it and took to Twitter to have a jab at Instagram officials by making her avatar a topless snap.
3. Wearing a See-Through Dress
Following the events on social media, Rihanna had a big statement to make, and to empower female sexuality, she rocked up to the 2014 CFDA Awards wearing a sparkling see-through number. Not only was she one of the few women to pull off a sheer dress so effortlessly, but she happened to have won the award for “Fashion Icon” that year! Controversial, or not, RiRi made her mark on the fashion world from that day onwards.
4. When She Friend-Zoned Drake
Just thinking of the moment when the beauty mogul swerved a kiss from on-again, off-again beau, Drake just makes us cringe. Like, you’ve gotta be crazy to friend-zone Drake?! To remind you, it was just after Drake had confessed his love for the popstar during his speech at the VMAs in 2016. After presenting Rihanna with the Vanguard award, he went in for a kiss and she gave him the cheek. After that, the pair weren’t spotted together, at all! #Awkward
5. The Uproar of Controversy with her BBHMM Video
Just when things seemed awfully quiet in the world of Rihanna, she decided to cause a stir with her shocking music video for Bit*h Better Have My Money. With scenes of torturing and murdering a guy and even after critics claimed it as misogynistic, the nudity, illegal drugs and bad language worked in her favor as the video gained over 135 million views.
6. Her Controversial Music Videos
From raunchy lyrics to nudity and illegal drugs, Rihanna’s music videos constantly showcase her dark side. BBHMM may be ranked as one of her most shocking videos of all time, but there have been others that raised eyebrows in the past including her S&M video, which was banned in 11 countries and was restricted on YouTube.
7. When She Gave Chris Brown a Second Chance
Rihanna’s world fell apart when she got into a brawl with her then love, Chris Brown which resulted in a physical assault. Even though she was battered and bruised, Rihanna later told Oprah that her main concern was if Chris was okay and whether he would get the help that he needed. After years apart, the controversial celebs‘ undeniable love for each other brought them back together, but the pressure was too much and they decided that they were better off as close friends instead. Still, their reconciliation shocked everyone, leading fans to dub her as “weak” and “crazy”.
8. Her Coachella Drug Incident
We’ve seen most popstars let loose at music festival, Coachella, but Rihanna took it to a whole other level in 2012 when she was captured doing what appeared to be cocaine on her bodyguard’s forehead. As you’d imagine, this image was disapproved by many, giving her the title of “druggie” by several news outlets. Nevertheless, Rihanna clarified that it wasn’t coke on her bodyguard’s head by saying, “Any fool could see that’s a joint that I’m basing with cigarette! Who tF snorts tobacco??!! FOH witcho “never been to a rodeo so someone squeezing their nose means they’re doing coke” lookin ass!! (sic).”
9. Accidentally Shutting Down an Illegal Strip Club
RiRi isn’t afraid to show off her own body and she also loves to show her appreciation for other females by frequently visiting the strip club and posting about it on social media. She even managed to get an unlicensed club in Thailand shut down after she mentioned how crazy it was on Twitter – “Either I was phuck wasted lastnight, or I saw a Thai woman pull a live bird,2 turtles,razors,shoot darts and ping pong, all out of her p*$$y.” #Casual
10. Her Famous Feud With Ciara
This celebrity battle started when Ciara told Joan Rivers in 2011 that Rihanna “wasn’t the nicest” after running into her at a party. The two singers then had an ongoing spat on Twitter, both knocking each other down before they appeared to make up. The Work singer also sang Ciara’s song Goodies during a karaoke session, proving that there were no hard feelings.
11. Love the Way You Lie Lyrics
Many fans labeled Rihanna a hypocrite after singing about abuse on the Eminem-assisted track, Love the Way You Lie. After being a victim of domestic abuse, the public thought it was scandalous of Rihanna to sing lyrics like “I like the way it hurts”. Regardless, the song was embraced by many and turned out to be a chart-topper, proving that RiRi doesn’t mind taking risks and that they eventually pay off.
12. When She Dissed Karrueche
This crazy Rihanna moment didn’t go down too well with the public. Although she didn’t use any names, the message was clear when Rihanna posted a picture of a pack of rice cakes with some hoops and shades, accompanied by the caption “Imma make you my b**ch”. This racist outburst was clearly directed at Chris’s then-girlfriend Karrueche Tran, who is Vietnamese.
13. Her Love Triangle with Drake and Chris Brown
Although RiRi didn’t actively provoke the beef between the two singers, the pair ended up in a brawl as they both had admiration for the Wild Thoughts singer. During a night out in 2012, Chris Brown sent a bottle of champagne over to Drake’s table but the rapper then sent it back with a note saying “I’m f*cking the love of your life, deal with it”. This obviously didn’t go down well and the men ended up getting into a fistfight. Thankfully, the two artists saw past the beef and have reconciled ever since.
14. Her Slow Loris Snap
In what was one of Rihanna’s most controversial moments, she posted a cute picture of her cuddling up to a slow loris in 2013. What’s so shocking about that, you may ask? As a matter of fact, and much to RiRi’s ignorance, the adorable furry animal is an endangered species so her scandalous photo ended up getting the two Thai guys who owned it arrested! It seems like Rihanna has a thing for getting people in trouble with her online snaps…
15. Her Heartfelt Oprah Interview
If you haven’t already seen the 40-minute interview with Oprah, you need to drop what you’re doing and watch it now. Although not controversial in a bad way, this touching interview got the fans talking as it showed a much softer side to the superstar after she revealed some eye-opening truths. We saw Rihanna break down and openly share her feelings on her rise to stardom, and talk about her troublesome relationship with Chris Brown, as well as her father.
16. Getting Kicked Out of a Mosque
When Rihanna found the perfect backdrop for some snaps for the Gram, she thought she’d seize the moment. But many locals got offended with her choice of location, her outfit (a black jumpsuit, a Hijab) and her poses – so much so that she ended up being kicked out of the mosque!
17. Her Rumored Affair with Jay Z
We all know that Jay-Z discovered Rihanna when she was merely 16 and then signed her on the same night of their first meeting. But the admiration between them has been blown out of context and it was rumored that the two were more than just friends. Rihanna even said that these rumors made her feel uncomfortable when she was around him because it just wasn’t that way!
18. That Shocking X Factor Performance
It wouldn’t be RiRi if she wasn’t dripping in swagger and sexiness during a performance, right? When she performed What’s My Name on the UK X Factor finale in 2011, 2,750 people complained that it was just too sexy for family viewing. What a bunch of haters!
19. Wearing a Fur Heart-Shaped Cape
Rihanna’s outfit choices are something that often makes front-page press for all the right reasons, but when she threw on a heart-shaped fur cape in 2012, fashion critics wondered if she had lost her mind. Even though the singer was slammed for wearing fox fur, other celebs seemed to love it, with fashion model, Kendall Jenner following suit and investing in her very own Yves Saint Laurent coat.
20. Her Failed Press Tour
Following the release of her Unapologetic album, Rihanna invited a load of journalists around on a press tour, but sadly, it didn’t receive the coverage that she’d imagined. Instead, the singer was slated for her lack of appearance and the poor organization of the entire trip. Better luck next time!
Rihanna may have a strong mindset and she might act as she pleases, but she doesn’t put on a front or act like she’s above anybody else, and that’s one of the many reasons why we love the singer-turned-businesswoman.
What’s your opinion of the singer and which moments shocked you the lost? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below…
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