South African singer Tyla has addressed a viral clip from the 2026 Met Gala that appeared to show Rihanna ignoring her at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, saying she felt too awkward to approach the global superstar and insisting there was no snub.
The clip circulated rapidly across social media in the days after the May 4 event, with viewers interpreting the footage as a public slight from one of music’s biggest stars directed at one of South Africa’s most celebrated exports.
Tyla moved quickly to shut down that reading.
What Tyla said
In a video posted after the Met Gala, Tyla gave her account of two separate encounters with Rihanna. Recounting a first meeting the previous year, she said Rihanna “was occupied” and described the moment with the phrase:
“Hey, um, um, my baby daddy’s calling me.”
Tyla did not characterise the exchange as hostile.
At the 2026 Met Gala itself, Tyla said she spotted Rihanna but chose not to approach her.
“I felt awkward. I don’t know how to say hi if I feel like someone’s busy,” she said.
She added that when they do eventually speak properly, she wants it “to be like calm so we both can just, you know, vibe and talk nicely.”
The explanation drained much of the drama from the narrative, with fans and commentators largely accepting Tyla’s framing of the encounter.
Tyla’s Met Gala 2026 look
Tyla arrived at the Costume Art-themed gala in a custom Valentino gown designed by Alessandro Michele.
The look featured a top constructed from diamond chains forming a plunging bodice, paired with a turquoise drop-waist skirt with a central slit. Speaking to Vogue, Tyla said she was inspired by a peacock.
The look landed on multiple best-dressed lists and marked her third consecutive Met Gala appearance.
Critical reception was divided. Some South African and African fashion commentators described the look as captivating and perfectly calibrated for her brand. Others argued that in a room full of theatrical costume-forward looks, Tyla’s Valentino played it comparatively safe.
She appeared on the carpet alongside fellow African stars Skepta and Damson Idris, with African representation at the 2026 gala drawing significant attention across the continent.
Rihanna attended the gala with A$AP Rocky, with Rocky describing her look as “shining like a diamond” in carpet-side comments. The couple’s arrival drew significant media attention of its own.
What comes next
Tyla’s clarification effectively closed the cycle on the viral moment, with no further response from Rihanna’s camp at the time of publishing. The episode adds another chapter to Tyla’s growing international profile, with her second studio album set for release later in 2026 and a global touring schedule already confirmed.
