Tyla Addresses Viral Video of Rihanna Ignoring Her at 2026 Met Gala: “The Last Time She Was Busy”
- On Wednesday, 6 May 2026, a viral Met Gala moment had fans convinced Rihanna snubbed Tyla
- Celebrity blogger Musa Khawula shared a clip of Tyla explaining what actually happened and how a past awkward encounter with Rihanna influenced how she handled the situation this time
- Social media split into camps, with some relating to Tyla’s awkward moment, while others criticised Rihanna and questioned her attitude
Source: Getty Images
Globally renowned South African musician Tyla has addressed a video of Barbados singer Rihanna seemingly ignoring her at the Met Gala 2026 on Monday, 4 May.
In the viral video, the two-time Grammy Award winner, who attended the Met Gala 2026 in a stunning Valentino dress, stood alone while Rihanna had her back turned to her.
On Wednesday, 6 May 2026, Tyla finally addressed the incident, which left some feeling that Rihanna had intentionally given the South African singer the cold shoulder.
In a clip shared by controversial celebrity gossip blogger Musa Khawula, the Push 2 Start musician revealed that she did not approach Rihanna at the 2026 Met Gala because of the awkward interaction they had when they first met in 2025.
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“Basically, everyone knows I love Rih. So, I met her last year, and she was cool. I met her, but I think she was occupied because I went up to her and I was like, ‘Oh, hey,’ and she was like, ‘Oh, hey, my baby dad is calling me.’ And then she left, and I was like oh maybe she was busy. So, I don't know. I felt awkward. What the heck? I felt awkward. I don't know how to say hi. If I feel like I'm as busy, it's like umh,” Tyla said.
She said that this time, she decided to wait for Rihanna to approach her instead of her making the first move.
“So, this time, I was waiting for my call, and she was right there, and I was. Yeah, so this time, yeah, I don't want to go up because I feel like she was busy. You know what I mean? The last time she was busy,” the South African musician added.
Despite the awkward moments, Tyla made it clear there’s no bad blood. Tyla shared how she would want her meeting with Rihanna to go if they ever got another chance to meet.
“So, I want to, like when we do speak, if we do end up speaking ever, I want us to be like calm so we both get, you know, vibe and talk nicely,” Tyla said.
Watch the video below:
SA reacts after Tyla addresses Rihanna moment at 2026 Met Gala
Some social media users sympathised with Tyla, saying they would’ve reacted the same way after an awkward first encounter. Others felt she should have approached Rihanna anyway, while a few criticised Rihanna’s behaviour, calling it mean.
Here are some of the comments:
@TshepyMo said:
“And she's still willing to talk to her after getting a cold shoulder 🥹🥹”
@BuhleTheFirst said:
“I'd also step away and possibly look awkward after someone brushes me off like that 😭 I feel you, Tyla.”
@leroykubeka advised:
“She must never bother herself to greet her EVER AGAIN!”
@Goetsimang4 suggested:
“Rihanna is so unnecessarily mean, Tyla must just leave her alone, Vele, she is not god.”
Source: Getty Images
SA reacts to Tyla attending Beyoncé’s Met Gala afterparty
Tyla might have been ignored by Rihanna but she attended another Hollywood great invited her to the Met Gala afterparty, as per Briefly News.
The She Did It Again hitmaker shared a proudly South African reaction to Queen B's Met Gala afterparty, and her fans in Mzansi couldn't be more proud of her.
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Source: Briefly News
