Tyla Shuts Down Rihanna ‘Beef’ Rumours After Met Gala Clip

South African Grammy Award winner Tyla was among the stars present at this year’s Met Gala. The glamorous event took place on Monday, May 4, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As always, the gala celebrated the opening of the Costume Institute’s spring exhibition, titled “Costume Art.”

However, beyond the fashion moments and celebrity appearances, social media users quickly turned their attention to a viral clip involving Tyla and global superstar Rihanna. The video had many online users convinced that there was tension between the two stars after Rihanna appeared to ignore Tyla at the event.

@tylaxtygers Wait Tyla and Rihanna in the same room?!? Did they get interactions together #tyla #rihanna #metgalabts #behindthescenes ♬ original sound – i-D

The clip showed Tyla standing awkwardly near Rihanna while waiting at the gala, with some viewers interpreting Rihanna’s behaviour as a snub. The moment quickly sparked rumours online, with people claiming the two artists were “beefing.”

But Tyla has now shut down all the speculation, making it clear there is absolutely no bad blood between them.

@hernametyla

♬ original sound – soundeffectpack

In a recent TikTok video, Tyla addressed the viral moment directly and explained 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.”

She then added a picture of herself standing awkwardly next to Rihanna and continued: “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.”

Tyla made it clear that she never took the interaction personally and insisted Rihanna was simply busy at the moment. The singer also reassured fans that there is no secret celebrity feud between them.

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.”