Tyla Speaks Out On That Viral Rihanna Met Gala Snub And Mzansi Is Fuming On Her Behalf!

Eish, the Met Gala 2026 was giving us everything — fashion, drama, and apparently a whole lot of awkward energy between two of the biggest names in music! Our very own global superstar Tyla has finally broken her silence on that viral video of Rihanna seemingly blanking her at the Met Gala on Monday, 4 May, and baby, the explanation has left Mzansi with even MORE questions than before!

Tyla And Rihanna’s Met Gala 2026 Moment That Broke The Internet

So here’s what went down. Tyla, looking absolutely IMMACULATE in a stunning Valentino dress, was spotted standing alone at the Met Gala while Rihanna had her back completely turned to her.

The video went viral faster than a Joburg pothole complaint, and people were not shy about picking sides. Was it intentional? Was it accidental? Was Rihanna being mean? The internet had thoughts, and those thoughts were loud!

On Wednesday, 6 May 2026, Tyla finally addressed the elephant in the very glamorous room, courtesy of controversial celebrity gossip blogger Musa Khawula who shared the clip.

And yazi, the backstory she revealed made everything make so much more sense — and also so much more painful!

The Awkward Rihanna Encounter That Left Tyla Shook Long Before The Met Gala

Hayibo, because it turns out this is not even a new situationship! Tyla revealed that when she first met Rihanna in 2025, things got awkward fast.

She walked up to the Barbados icon all excited, said her hellos, and Rihanna literally told her “my baby dad is calling me” and walked away. Just like that. Gone. Poof. Finished and klaar!

“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,” Tyla recalled, and honestly we felt that in our souls!

So at the 2026 Met Gala, our girl decided she was not about to repeat that humiliation. She stood her ground, kept her cool, and waited for Rihanna to come to her this time. “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,” she explained.

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And listen, we respect the self-preservation energy completely! Despite it all, Tyla is still keeping the door open — bless her heart — saying she hopes that if they ever properly connect, they can just “vibe and talk nicely.” Iyoh, the grace this woman has! Most of us would have already made a diss track!

Mzansi and the rest of the internet, however, were not nearly as gracious in the comments:

@TshepyMo was emotional: “And she’s still willing to talk to her after getting a cold shoulder 🥹🥹”

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@BuhleTheFirst related hard: “I’d also step away and possibly look awkward after someone brushes me off like that 😭 I feel you, Tyla.”

@leroykubeka was done with the whole thing: “She must never bother herself to greet her EVER AGAIN!”

@Goetsimang4 came for Rihanna’s whole character: “Rihanna is so unnecessarily mean, Tyla must just leave her alone, Vele, she is not god.”

And honestly? We are somewhere between @BuhleTheFirst’s sympathy and @leroykubeka’s unbothered energy because Tyla is a TWO-TIME GRAMMY AWARD WINNER who wore VALENTINO to the Met Gala — she does not need to be chasing anybody, including Rihanna!

So we are asking you, Mzansi — should Tyla ever approach Rihanna again, or has our girl done more than enough? Because the way we see it, the ball is firmly in Rihanna’s court and it has been there for a while now! Tell us everything in the comments!