It’s an unspoken rule that the Met Gala doesn’t really begin until Rihanna hits those famous museum steps. This year, that rang true again, but the beauty mogul had a good explanation behind her fashionably late arrival: she’s expecting her third child with her long-time partner, A$AP Rocky.
Rihanna interpreted the gala’s dress code, “Tailored For You”, in a structured Marc Jacobs look that perfectly showed her pregnancy bump. It featured a fitted corset top with boning, an ultra-cropped jacket and button-down, and a wool skirt with a slit along the leg. Rihanna’s top hat and polka dot necktie, and pocket square upped the look’s Dandy factor. Diamond brooches and two-tone heels finished the ensemble.
The evening turned out to be the perfect occasion for Rihanna to share the happy news, as Rocky is one of this year’s official co-chairs. He wore a Harlem-inspired look from his brand, AWGE. And though Rihanna has done her best to hide her bump over the past months, her happy secret hit the press hours before when she made her way onto the red carpet. Before she changed into this Marc Jacobs moment, she was spotted at The Carlyle Hotel in a two-piece knit set from Miu Miu that framed her growing belly.
Tonight’s confirmation of Rihanna’s third pregnancy comes after months of speculation that the singer was expecting again. (Rihanna and Rocky share two children, sons RZA, 2, and Riot, 1.) Of course, Rihanna has a track record of wearing bump-forward looks at the Met Gala. In 2023, she donned an elaborate Valentino coat that she removed to show her growing bump—just months prior, she famously announced her pregnancy at the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
True to form, this on-theme Marc Jacobs look didn’t sacrifice Rihanna’s unique approach to maternity style. It’s something the singer has spoken at length about in the past, and a way of dressing that she’s sure to continue for her third pregnancy.
“When I found out I was pregnant, I thought to myself, ‘There’s no way I’m going to go shopping in no maternity aisle,” Rihanna said shortly after announcing her first pregnancy in 2022. “I’m sorry — it’s too much fun to get dressed up. I’m not going to let that part disappear because my body is changing.”