A Look into Rihanna’s Motherhood: Celebrities Worries Of Raising Children in the Public Eye
On February 15th, British Vogue’s March 2023 issue featuring Rihanna graced the world. At this year’s Super Bowl halftime show, Rihanna revealed her brand new baby bump, confirming her second pregnancy. As if this wasn’t exciting enough, three days later Rihanna’s gorgeous photoshoot for Vogue was released, showcasing her family of three (soon to be four) for the very first time.
Source: British Vogue
The nine-time Grammy winner and current Oscar nominee was photographed by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinood Matadin alongside her partner A$AP Rocky and their nine-month-old child. Styled by British Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief, Edward Enninful, Rihanna poses in a halter-neck Chanel gown that includes a thigh-high slit. A$AP Rocky is dressed in a Bottega Veneta leather outfit styled by Matthew Henson. Henson also styled the couple’s child who is photographed wearing a Chrome Hearts diaper cover.
Though the cover photo took place on a beach in Malibu, the gothic aesthetic is undeniable. Enninful discusses the theme stating, “For Riri, it was never going to be without edge.”
Giles Hattersley wrote the accompanying interview, Rihanna Reborn: How A Megastar Became A Mother. Throughout the interview, Rihanna touches on her journey through motherhood. Reminiscing on the first months after giving birth she says to Hattersley, “Oh, my god it’s legendary.” She continues, “It’s everything. You really don’t remember life before, that’s the craziest thing ever.”
Hattersley explains that Rihanna and her team were adamant about only referring to her nine-month-old as “Baby.” As high-profile celebrities, it makes sense that Rihanna and A$AP Rocky want to keep some details private.
During the family’s photoshoot in Malibu, the couple was faced with an alarming situation. Down the beach paparazzi were photographing “Baby.”
“Throw me to the wolves. Do what you want with me. But he doesn’t have a say in any of this 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,” Rihanna says to Hattersley. “Get the hell out of here with that.”
Rihanna is not the first celebrity to be faced with the fear of exposing her child to the media. Blake Lively, Mindy Kaling, Constance Wu, Kristen Bell, and Gigi Hadid are just some of the other famous mothers who shield their children from the spotlight. You may ask yourself: what is the reason? Why do some celebrities post pictures of their children while others hide them?
Safety and consent are the biggest factors celebrities take into consideration, as do most parents. Actress Eva Mendes shared her feelings, “Since my children are still so little and don’t understand what posting their image really means, I don't have their consent, and I won't post their image until they’re old enough to give me consent.”
In June 2021, model Gigi Hadid posted a message to the “Paparazzi, Press, and Fan Accounts” via her Instagram story.
“Our wish is that she can choose how to share herself with the world when she comes of age and that she can live as normal of a childhood as possible, without worrying about a public image that she has not chosen,” Hadid writes. The model finishes her message by asking all media outlets to blur her daughter, Khai’s, face out of any photos.
Safety becomes a huge concern for those with a large following. Rihanna’s Instagram account, @badgalriri, has a total following of 143 million—it would probably be safe to say that even Rihanna doesn’t know that many people. Therefore, whoever views these images could be potentially dangerous.
Writer Adit Ganguly empathizes with celebrities saying, “With there being a rampant rise in cybercrime involving children with their photos being morphed and misused, there is absolutely no second-guessing why parents choose to be this cautious.”
Many celebrities have come forward with their personal stalking experiences with paparazzi. Moreover, the harmfulness of bright flashing lights, especially to the eyes of a child. It is immoral for the paparazzi to profit off of anyone’s pictures that were taken non-consensually.
With the rise of social media today, the internet can be a scary place. It's no wonder celebrities are determined to keep their children and personal lives separate, and we as a society should respect this.
What do you think of Rihanna’s new British Vogue shoot? Leave a comment below.