Rihanna and A$AP Rocky share first photos of their newborn son Riot Rose

Couple welcomed their second son in August 2023

Brittany Miller
New York
Tuesday 19 September 2023 13:21 EDT
Comments
Related: Pregnant Rihanna performs stunning Super Bowl half time show

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky have just taken their first round of family photos, almost one month after the birth of their second child, named Riot Rose.

To introduce their newborn son to the world, the “Diamonds” singer and rapper took multiple family photos featuring a variety of combinations, including some with just Riot, the couple holding their son, or the entire family together, complete with the couple’s 16-month-old son RZA.

In the pictures, taken by Miles Diggs, Rihanna is seen holding Riot while Rocky holds RZA on his shoulders, with the photo marking the first public image of the family of four together. Rihanna is also pictured holding her youngest son on her own while leaning up against a car.

Other photos show Riot lying down on a blanket as both of his parents were seen looking down at him and smiling.

The news that the couple “secretly” welcomed their second child was reported by TMZ on 21 August. According to the outlet, the newest addition arrived on 3 August in Los Angeles.

The baby’s arrival marked Rihanna and Rocky’s second time becoming new parents; the two welcomed their son RZA Athelaston Meyers in May 2022.

The billionaire beauty mogul has yet to publicly comment on the arrival of her second child.

Rihanna first revealed she was pregnant for the second time during her 2023 Super Bowl halftime performance in February, while on stage at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, where she wore a bright red jumpsuit with a red bodysuit underneath. Multiple times throughout her performance she was seen rubbing her stomach, which led viewers watching to believe that she was pregnant for the second time.

A representative for the singer later confirmed that she was expecting. After TMZ announced the birth of the pair’s second son, sources confirmed the baby news to People and Entertainment Tonight. “Rihanna and A$AP will spend the early days of parenthood out of the public eye and won’t make any immediate plans to debut the new baby,” one source told ET at the time.

“Rihanna and A$AP are great right now,” another source said. “They’re so excited to grow their family and are so united when it comes to parenting. They have so much fun together and are very in love. They already shared a special connection and parenting together has made their bond even stronger.”

The singer had previously given fans a view of her son RZA on TikTok in December 2022, when he was only seven months old. Rihanna later revealed the video was only posted because it was a forced decision after paparazzi had allegedly taken photos of RZA without her consent.

“I just went straight into protective mode. Like there wasn’t even time for rage,” Rihanna told British Vogue in February for the magazine’s March 2023 issue. “As parents it just feels so icky, like a violation.”

Rihanna explained how she and the rapper came together to discuss how they wanted to handle photos of their son potentially being leaked to the press. “As we were speaking, we knew they were making calls and deals,” she recalled.

The Independent has contacted representatives for Rihanna and A$AP Rocky for comment.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in