South African Grammy Award winner Tyla attended this year’s Met Gala, which took place on Monday, May 4, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The annual fashion event once again marked the opening of the Costume Institute’s spring exhibition, titled “Costume Art,” and drew some of the world’s biggest stars.
While Tyla walked the iconic event among global celebrities, attention quickly shifted away from fashion moments and onto a viral social media clip involving her and Rihanna.
TYLA ADDRESSES VIRAL MET GALA MOMENT
Social media users sparked rumours after a video circulated showing Tyla standing near Rihanna while appearing to be ignored. Some viewers interpreted the moment as awkward and quickly speculated that there was tension between the two artists.
Rihanna totally ignored Tyla at the Met Gala 👀 pic.twitter.com/9HuB1z14qr
— BlackMedia__ (@BlackMedia___) May 6, 2026
TYLA EXPLAINS WHAT REALLY HAPPENED
Tyla quickly responded on TikTok, shutting down claims that there was any “beef” between her and Rihanna. She explained that the situation was misunderstood and that Rihanna was simply occupied at the time.
“Everyone knows I love Ri. So, I met her last year and she was cool. When I met her, I think she was occupied because I went up to her, and she was like ‘My baby daddy is calling me’ and then she left. I was like maybe she was busy. So, I don’t know, I felt awkward, I don’t know how to say hi. I was waiting for my car and she was right there.”
Tyla also shared a photo of herself standing next to Rihanna and added: “I didn’t want to go up because she was busy. When we do speak, if we do end up speaking ever, I want it to be like calm so that we can both just vibe and talk nicely.”
She emphasised that she never took the moment personally and insisted there was no negativity between them.
@hernametyla
ADDRESSES COMPARISON TO RIHANNA
This is not the first time the two artists have been linked together online. Back in 2024, Tyla was frequently compared to Rihanna because of her music and growing global success. During an interview with Cosmopolitan, Tyla shared her thoughts on the comparisons.
“Rihanna is Rihanna. It’s a compliment,” she told the publication. “But at the same time, I’m my own artist. I’m Tyla. And I know as people get to know me and my music, they will see me as just Tyla. So I’m fine with it now.”
