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Rihanna Fires Back at Critic Who Hates Her Sons' Names
Rihanna is giving fans a glimpse into the moment she found a new love—actually, make that two.
The "Diamonds" singer posted never-before-seen hospital photos of herself with her and A$AP Rocky's two sons just after they were born in honor of International Women's Day March 8.
In one Instagram pic, Rihanna showcases her first moments of motherhood, holding RZA Athelston Mayers, now 2, skin-to-skin, while wearing pearl and gold necklaces. In a second photo, a selfie, she wears a black bra and pink sunglasses as she holds then-newborn Riot Rose Mayers, now 19 months old.
"By far the most powerful thing I’ve ever done as a woman…my little miracles! #InternationalWomensDay," Rihanna captioned her post. "Day 1- RZA 2- Riot Rose. And yes I gave birth in pearls and sunglasses…don't ask, a lot was happening."
She later clapped back at a user who commented on a Shade Room post that they "hate" her sons' names, writing, "ok tatiana."
While Rihanna—who famously revealed her pregnancy with Riot while performing in the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show—rarely posts images of her and Rocky's sons, she did recently share insight into the children's personalities.
"Riot, he's just hilarious," she told Harper's Bazaar in an interview published Feb. 22. "When he wakes up, he starts to squeal, scream. Not in a crying way. He just wants to sing. And I’m like, 'Okay, here we go!' He's my alarm in the morning! He's not taking no for an answer from anyone."
Instagram / Rihanna
As for RZA, he is an "empath," according to his mom.
"He’s so magical," Rihanna continued. "He loves music. He loves melody. He loves books. He loves water. Bath time, swimming, pool, beach, anything."
Instagram / Rihanna
RZA is named after one of the members of the Wu-Tang Clan, while Riot's name was first suggested by Pharrell Williams, who had collaborated with Rocky (real name: Rakim Mayers) on the 2023 track "RIOT (Rowdy Pipe'n)."
"He gave us this name thinking it was going to be a girl," Rihanna said, "because he had seen something online."
The "Work" singer has signaled that she wants to have more kids with Rocky. "I'm batting at 75 percent for a boy next time," she exclusively told E! News' Justin Sylvester at the FENTY x PUMA Creeper Phatty Launch Party in 2023. "So, we'll just keep our fingers crossed."
Last June, the Grammy winner joked to E! News she would "just cry out of pure anxiety for one day and then I think I'll just get over it the next" if she learned she was pregnant again.
She added, "I would just be scared."
Look back at Rihanna and Rocky's romance...
data-hook="adp-photo-agency">Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic
September 2012
In 2012, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky performed their hit "Cockiness" at the MTV Video Music Awards, and their number was so good it deserved a trophy. This wouldn't be the last time the two shared the stage as they went on tour together in 2013.
ASAPROCKYUPTOWN / YouTube
September 2013
Fans had this song on replay after Rihanna and A$AP Rocky released the music video for "Fashion Killa" in 2013.
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
June 2018
As the years went on, they remained friends. In 2018, they attended the Louis Vuitton Menswear Spring/Summer 2019 show as part of Paris Fashion Week and, of course, they totally slayed.
Anthony Harvey/Shutterstock
December 2019
They also attended The Fashion Awards in 2019, with Rihanna dazzling in a mint Fenty dress and A$AP Rocky looking sharp in a black suit.
Arturo Holmes/MG21/Getty Images
September 2021
Met Gala official! Rihanna and A$AP Rocky attended the 2021 Met Gala together in style, with the "Umbrella" singer wearing a black Balenciaga gown and the "A$AP Forever" artist donning a custom ERL quilt and a tuxedo.
Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
February 2022
After announcing they were expecting their first baby, Rihanna recalled keeping her pregnancy a secret from her friends. "It was harder for me to keep it from my posse, because they're around me, they know my habits," she told E!'s Justin Sylvester. "They're like, 'You don't want something to drink? You're not smoking?' And I'm eating all the things I'm not used to eating. They know I hate sweets and I'm all of a sudden asking for cookies and donuts. But finally, I just had to let it all out, and they were all shocked, of course, as the world was shocked as well."
Diggzy/Shutterstock
February 2022
SOS! These photos are so sweet! As Rihanna and A$AP prepared for their bundle of joy, she continued to show her incredible pregnancy style.
ASAPROCKYUPTOWN / YouTube
May 2022
While fans wondered if A$AP Rocky had proposed to Rihanna after seeing them sport the words "Marry me?" and "I do" across their teeth in his "D.M.B." video, sources close to the couple told TMZ in May 2022 the two aren't engaged.
Amy Sussman/WireImage
May 2022
And baby makes three! Multiple outlets report that the couple welcomed a baby in Los Angeles.
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
February 2023
She debuted her second pregnancy during the 2023 Super Bowl halftime show.
Getty Images
May 2023
The pair take the 2023 Met Gala together in honor of Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld.
Antony Jones/Getty Images for Spotify
June 2023
Rihanna accompanied A$AP Rocky during his performance at a Spotify party in Cannes, France.
Jackson Lee/GC Images
August 2023
The couple welcomed their second child, son Riot. One month later, they shared their first photos as a family of four in a rare photoshoot.
Jackson Lee/GC Images
April 2024
Rihanna confirmed her romance with A$AP began at the end of 2019.
"I've seen him in relationships. He's seen me in relationships," she explained of their long history. "We knew what we're capable of, and the trouble that we could bring to each other's lives. We can make or break each other's hearts. And so, we started dating with a lot of caution."
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