Met Gala honours pregnant Rihanna with ‘historic’ statue

The singer is expecting her first child with boyfriend A$AP Rocky

The singer announced she was expecting her first child in January (Scott Garfitt/Shutterstock)

New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and American Vogue have paid homage to Rihanna with a digital statue of the singer and business woman.

Already famed for her musical success and Fenty empire, the 34-year-old has been dominating headlines in recent months for her iconic bump-baring maternity style.

In January, Rihanna and her boyfriend, rapper A$AP Rocky, announced they were expecting their first child together.

She is believed to be approaching her due date, and has appeared heavily pregnant in recent photographs.

While the couple were notably absent from the Met Gala on Monday evening, the organisers chose to honour the mother-to-be with a video of a special statue in the museum’s Greek and Roman galleries.

It is believed to be a digital sculpture, with Vogue crediting animation studio ApeManRobot for the design.

The creation is based on Rihanna’s recent cover shoot for American Vogue’s May 2022 issue, which sees her dressed in a red Alaïa bodysuit.

“The statue of “Eirene (The Personification of Peace)” is usually the highest-profile marble goddess @themetmuseum Greco-Roman galleries,” the magazine wrote on Instagram, alongside a video of the carving.

“But now we’ve got @badgalriri, straight off this month’s Vogue cover,” it added.

Rihanna also shared the statue to her Instagram and Twitter, describing it as a “historic tribute”.

“Shut down the Met in marble! What’s more gilded than that? Lol!,” she said, referencing this year’s Met Gala theme, Gilded Glamour.

“Thank you @metmuseum and @voguemagazine for this historic tribute! Y’all bad for this one!”

The tribute has been praised by fans, many of whom said it further cements the singer’s “icon” status.

“[Rihanna] wasn’t even there and made a statement,” one Instagram user wrote.

“This really HISTORIH! My fave so iconic!” another said on Twitter.

“This is Rihanna’s world we just happen to live here,” a third person wrote.

Another said: “Me trying to drink my morning coffee, but Rihanna Robyn Fenty stepped on my neck.”