What All Of Rihanna's Exes Have Said About Her
The following article mentions domestic abuse.
It shouldn't come as a surprise that those who've actually gotten to date the irresistible Rihanna would want to tell the whole world about it. The "Disturbia" singer has apparently been breaking hearts ever since she skyrocketed to fame in 2005 with her first single, "Pon de Replay." Since then, the Barbados native has released eight studio albums, won nine Grammy Awards, and acted on the big screen, as well as created beauty and lingerie business empires.
During her rise to the top, Rihanna has also found time to date and has been linked to athletes, actors, and rappers over the years. These days though, she's very happy with her partner, rapper ASAP Rocky, who's the father of her son, as well as the child she's expecting in 2023. Rihanna gushed about him to British Vogue, saying, "Everything changes when you have a baby, but I wouldn't say it's done anything but made us closer." Rocky, for his part, called Rihanna "the love of his life" in an interview with GQ and gushed, "[It's] so much better when you got The One. She amounts to probably, like, a million of the other ones."
Rihanna began dating Rocky in 2020 following her split from Saudi Arabian businessman Hassan Jameel. Unlike Rocky, Jameel has seemingly never publicly spoken about Rihanna, despite their dating for almost three years. It appears he's the only ex who's remained mum on the Fenty founder, though. So with that said, let's break down what all of Rihanna's exes have said about her.
Negus Sealy recalled his time with Rihanna fondly
While a lot of Rihanna's exes are fellow celebrities, her alleged first love, Negus Sealy, isn't in the entertainment industry. It appears that the "Stay" songstress had briefly dated him before she became famous after meeting him at a party when she was just 15 and still living in her native Barbados. Sealy recalled to Daily Mail, "I guess we pretty much took to each other's character, and it was just cool ever since then."
Their relationship seemed like your average teen romance, with Sealy saying, "We would just chill and have a good time. We go to the beach, party, just basic socializing." Rihanna eventually left for the U.S. to launch her career, but Sealy has nothing but good things to say about the star. He gushed, "She's absolutely amazing and gorgeous," adding, "I am so lucky to have spent so much time with her and will always consider her to be a closer personal friend."
The two apparently did remain friends throughout the years, even hanging out when Rihanna went home to Barbados in 2011. That's when they were spotted seductively dancing together at a Carnival celebration. A source dished to the Sun newspaper (via Radar), "Negus has hardly left her side ... They have hooked up in the past when she's back in Barbados, but now things have progressed to a proper level again." Yet Seely said they were nothing more than friends, explaining, "She doesn't have time for anything serious with any guy."
Shia LaBeouf admitted that they didn't have a spark
A lot of Rihanna fans may have forgotten that the "We Found Love" singer had briefly dated "American Honey" star Shia LaBeouf around 2007. The pair had sparked romance rumors after they were spotted dining together at a restaurant in Beverly Hills that summer. While talks of their relationship went on to die down, LaBeouf revealed what really happened between them two years later when speaking to Playboy about their extremely short-lived fling. He shared that it was Rihanna who had made the first move by texting him. "[I was] filming a sword fight when I got the message. I said, 'Can this be my life?'" he recalled, via MTV.
The two eventually decided to meet up in person for a real date which was most likely when they were seen eating out together. Despite LaBeouf's obvious excitement, it didn't work out in the end, though. He explained, "It never got beyond one date." He even shared why, adding, "The spark wasn't there. We weren't passionate about each other in that way, so we remain friends."
Although it's unclear if they're still friends to this day, they both moved on and had babies around the same time with their respective partners. Rihanna had her son with ASAP Rocky in May 2022, while LaBeouf became a dad just two months earlier, having a daughter with his wife, Mia Goth. So perhaps in a perfect world, they are still buddies having playdates with their adorable babies.
Matt Kemp gushed that he loved to be around Rihanna
Rihanna and professional baseball player Matt Kemp seemed to have had a hot and heavy romance back in 2010. Rumors began swirling that the two were an item after they were spotted together on New Year's Eve but were pretty much confirmed soon after when they were photographed getting touchy-feely in Mexico. Rihanna even told Elle that year that she was smitten, gushing, "I have a boyfriend. I'm so happy. I feel really comfortable, and it's so easy."
Kemp was just as open when talking about Rihanna, telling Us Weekly, "That's my girl!" He took it a step further, adding, "She's just a fun person. I love to be around her." Of course, Rihanna's busy touring schedule then and Kemp's travel with baseball had to make spending time together difficult. When asked if she goes to his baseball games, Kemp hinted that was an issue too. That's because he answered, "She's definitely not gonna be here for a little while. Hopefully, when she gets back, she'll be at a couple [more] games."
It appeared Kemp didn't mind their long-distance relationship, though, since he clarified, "She's definitely a great person in my life, and I'm happy I'm with her." However, it must have gotten to him eventually because they split months later. A source explained to Us Weekly, "He just can't keep up with her crazy travel schedule. Matt's sick of always following after her like a puppy dog all over the world."
Chris Brown has been vocal with his support
Chris Brown is probably Rihanna's most famous ex, and not for a good reason. The "Umbrella" singer had started dating Brown in 2008 but broke up after he was arrested that next year for brutally assaulting her. He later admitted in his documentary, "Chris Brown: Welcome to My Life," via The Guardian, "[I] felt like a f**king monster," and said their relationship was already volatile at the time because he had cheated. He explained, "It just went downhill because there were too many verbal fights, physical fights as well. Mutual sides ... We would fight each other ... and it never was OK."
The couple somehow got back together briefly in 2012, with Rihanna admitting to Vanity Fair that she felt she had to protect him. By 2013 they were over for good, though, but that time, they appeared to end things on good terms. Brown even told the "Kyle and Jackie Show," via Us Weekly, "I mean, at the end of the day, shawty doing her own thang, she on the road. It's always gonna be love."
Brown appears to have meant it, too, considering that he's been vocal about his support for Rihanna over the years despite their breakup. He's not only commented on her Instagram posts but seemingly congratulated her on her first pregnancy in his own Instagram Story. It looked like Brown was proud of Rihanna's Super Bowl performance too, writing on Instagram Story (via Page Six), "GO GIRL," with a red heart and praying-hands emojis.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support on their website.
Karim Benzema said he unfollowed the Umbrella singer
You could say that Rihanna's 2014 courtship with Real Madrid soccer player, Karim Benzema, began with them flirting over Twitter. Rihanna may have been watching one of his games when she tweeted, "@Benzema I feel your pain right now!" He definitely took notice that the SAVAGE X FENTY founder had reached out to him and responded, "@Rihanna No Pain, no gain, thanks for the support!"
That was one of the last things Benzema said about the "Diamonds" singer publicly, but Us Weekly reported that the two did go on to date a year later, in June 2015, after they were spotted on a breakfast date together in New York City. However, a source dished it was nothing more than a fling, saying, "They're definitely hooking up," with another clarifying, "She's not officially dating him." Yet, a month later, E! reported that they were a couple and that it worked because Benzema understood that Rihanna had a busy career and was willing to take things slow.
Whatever Rihanna and Benzema were doing apparently came to an end in 2017, though. A source close to him told the Spanish newspaper Don Balon Rosa (via The Sun), "She told him she did not want to break his heart, and she confessed that she'll always love Chris Brown." Regardless of what the reason was, Benzema was apparently over being asked about Rihanna in 2022 since, per the Daily Star, he told reporters, "I don't follow her on Instagram, I don't follow her."
Lewis Hamilton would only say that he and Rihanna hung out sometimes
It appears that Rihanna may have kept things super casual when it came to her reported fling with Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton back in 2015. Their romance looked like it started off strong, though, considering that he was photographed with the "Love on the Brain" singer in her native Barbados celebrating Carnival. Days later, they then were still by each other's side but in New York City, where Page Six reported that they were seen canoodling at a nightclub.
While Hamilton's rep unsurprisingly claimed that the pair were "just friends" at the time, a source close to Rihanna hinted that they were actually more than friends but not that serious. That's because the insider told E!, "Rihanna is dating now, and she hasn't put a label on anyone." They continued, "She is still talking to Karim [Benzema], but she is also talking to Lewis and keeping her options open."
Hamilton, however, might not have liked that she was still talking to Benzema or just wanted to downplay what was becoming a high-profile romance since he himself told E!, "You know, I've known Ri for a long time. We've been friends for a while." Yet, he may have coyly suggested then that there could be something more between them too, when he added, "We get to hang out every now and again."
Travis Scott called Rihanna 'creative,' 'inspiring,' and 'muse'
It may come as a surprise to some fans that Rihanna briefly dated Travis Scott in 2015 before his highly publicized relationship with Kylie Jenner. But just like how he seemingly was with the Kylie Cosmetics founder in the past, Scott didn't want their relationship too public. That's because when Lawrence Schlossman, an interviewer for Complex, asked the "Sicko Mode" singer about his romance with Rihanna, Scott responded, [Don't] do [me] like that, man." However, Schlossman pointed out that Scott had skipped out on their scheduled interview the night before to "hole up" in a hotel room with Rihanna instead.
While Scott didn't want to divulge too much about the "Work" singer, he was willing to compliment her when asked to describe her in three words. That's because he replied, "creative," "inspiring," and "muse." Rihanna and Scott's relationship didn't last long, though, with Schlossman blaming the fact that the couple didn't like their dalliance being revealed to the world in Complex. Yet it's worth mentioning that TMZ had published photos of them legit making out at New York Fashion Week around that time too.
Regardless, Schlossman explained on the "Throwing Fits" podcast that it was Scott, in particular, who was vocal with his annoyance about his and Rihanna's relationship being exposed, saying, "Apparently, for the next couple of years, he would complain about that." He explained why he thought that was, adding, "It's because Rihanna's like, 'Don't tell anyone that I'm smashing Travis Scott, please.'"
Drake has talked about loving Rihanna for years
Perhaps the most outspoken of Rihanna's exes was Drake, since he's seemingly been talking about the "Rude Boy" singer ever since they were first linked back in 2009. Their relationship quickly went south though, with Drake telling The New York Times that next year that she basically used him saying, "I was a pawn." He reiterated that his feelings were hurt to Elle too, sharing, "I guess I thought it was more."
Yet Drake and Rihanna eventually made up and collaborated on music, releasing several songs together in the years that followed. Drake made it known he still had a crush in interviews, however, and later even dedicated a billboard to her when they started dating again in 2016. But it's safe to say that it was when Drake presented her an award at the VMAs that year that got the most attention, because he openly gushed, "She's someone I've been in love with since I was 22 years old." He continued, "I've looked up to her even though she's younger than me. She's a living breathing legend in our industry."
The pair continued to date after that, getting matching tattoos and posting about each other on Instagram. Yet by 2018, Rihanna told Vogue that they were over and that she didn't necessarily love his VMAs speech ... or any of her exes talking about her for that matter. That's because she dished, "I don't like too many compliments; I don't like to be put on blast."