Rihanna reflects on decision to share photos and video of son before paparazzi

Rihanna has taken the power back from paparazzi when it comes to sharing photos and videos of her nine-month-old son.

In a new cover story for British Vogue’s March 2023 issue, the legendary singer detailed how she’s fiercely protecting her baby boy from the spotlight. Rihanna, who revealed after the 2023 Super Bowl halftime show that she’s pregnant with baby number two, recalled one moment when photos of her son were taken by paparazzi without her consent.

“I just went straight into protective mode. Like there wasn’t even time for rage,” Rihanna told British Vogue. “As parents it just feels so icky, like a violation.”

The “Diamonds” singer and her partner ASAP Rocky came together to discuss how they wanted to handle photos of their son potentially being leaked to the press. She recalled: “As we were speaking, we knew they were making calls and deals.”

Then, the couple sprung into action. She decided to send some candid photos from her camera roll to an unnamed blog and joined TikTok – where she posted a now viral video of her baby boy gurgling, smiling, and playing with his mother’s phone.

“It’s the thing you never want to happen,” Rihanna added, as she reflected on the possibility that the world could see photos of her son without her permission. As parents, Rihanna said she believes it’s within their right to introduce their child on their own terms.

“We get to decide as parents when and how we do that,” she said. “End of story.”

Rihanna has had a long history with paparazzi throughout her nearly two decades of being in the spotlight. But when it comes to her soon-to-be two children, the “Umbrella” singer said she’s willing to sacrifice herself for the safety of her kids.

“Throw me to the wolves. Do what you want with me. But he doesn’t have a say in any of this,” she said. “We’ve been protecting him thus far and you don’t have any consent to be posting photos or selling photos of my child, a minor. Get the hell out of here with that.”

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky, who have been together since early 2020, welcomed their first child in May 2022. Since then, the two have kept some details about their nine-month-old son private, including his name. However, fans caught a first glimpse of the little one when Rihanna shared the first-ever video of him on TikTok back in December.

In the video, her son is seen sitting in a car seat and playing with Rihanna’s phone. “Hacked,” she captioned the sweet clip, which now has nearly 30m views.

Two days later, celebrity gossip site Hollywood Unlocked exclusively obtained and published three photos of the then seven-month-old. In one of the pictures, the baby is wearing a white onesie and has a pacifier. Another shows A$AP Rocky holding him up to the camera.

In an interview with the Associated Press in November, Rihanna explained why they have remained tight-lipped about their son’s name – which was partly to do with their busy schedules.

“We just didn’t get around to it yet, really. We’ve just been living,” she said at the time. “But I guess there’s a certain freedom that comes with kind of just like getting it out there.”

On Sunday 12 February, Rihanna revealed to the world that she’s expecting baby number two with A$AP Rocky – nearly nine months after welcoming their first child.

During her Super Bowl halftime performance, the Barbadian singer performed a medley of some of her biggest hits while rocking a red jumpsuit zipped halfway up. The outfit choice led many fans to believe that Rihanna was sporting a baby bump.

Following the 13-minute concert, a representative for Rihanna confirmed the pregnancy speculation.