Unpacking the Rihanna and Tyla Met Gala debate taking over the internet

A short fan-recorded video from the 2026 Met Gala has sparked days of online debate after viewers noticed an awkward-looking moment between South African star Tyla and Rihanna inside the event.In the now-viral clip, Tyla appears to be standing close to Rihanna inside the gala. While Rihanna speaks to people around her , social media users claimed Tyla looked uncomfortable or unsure in the corner as Rihanna seemingly paid little attention to her.

Here’s the video of Tyla getting ignored by Rihanna 😬 pic.twitter.com/uJpORwoVR7

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Met Gala 2026: Beyoncé, Rihanna, Cher, Tyla and music’s biggest stars take over the gala

— Ŵął£💱 (@101Tino0) May 6, 2026

The video quickly spread across TikTok and X, with fans dissecting the stars’ body language frame by frame. What intensified the discourse was Tyla's Tik Tok video explaining a previous encounter she had with Rihanna,one that happened before the Met Gala.

Tyla recalled greeting Rihanna at a previous event. According to Tyla, Rihanna responded briefly before after saying her “baby daddy” was calling her. Tyla laughed off the moment at the time, explaining that it simply felt awkward because Rihanna seemed busy, not because there was any issue between them.

@hernametyla

♬ original sound - soundeffectpack

Online, however, many users merged the two separate moments together, incorrectly claiming Tyla’s explanation was about the Met Gala clip itself.

As the video circulated, stan culture quickly escalated the conversation. Some social media users defended Rihanna, arguing that crowded events like the Met Gala make brief or distracted interactions inevitable. Others sympathised with Tyla, saying the singer appeared visibly uncomfortable in the footage.The backlash soon took a darker turn.

Tyla was once again targeted with misogynistic commentary online, including people referring to her as a “Nasty African girl” — language many fans noted echoed last year’s “Uppity African” discourse that surrounded her rise to international fame. Rather than responding directly, Tyla appeared to reclaim the narrative by reposting memes using the phrase, turning the insult into an ironic online moment embraced by supporters.

Tyla responds to being called a "nasty African girl" after revealing Rihanna "snubbed" her at the Met Gala:

"I kinda like this one" pic.twitter.com/N0zrS8MgHd
— Red Media (@RedMedia_us) May 7, 2026

The situation has grew even louder after Rihanna posted a recap video of the Met Gala soundtracked by Ayra Starr’s song Who’s Dat Girl? Fans immediately debated whether the song was playful, misunderstood humour or subtle shade directed at Tyla.

met recap ✨🎥 pic.twitter.com/SQS8y6K1O8

— Rihanna (@rihanna) May 7, 2026

Despite the internet frenzy, there is still no confirmed feud between the artists. Tyla has consistently expressed admiration for Rihanna in interviews, while neither star has publicly suggested there is tension between them.Still, the moment highlights how quickly viral clips can shape narratives online — especially for African artists navigating global celebrity spaces where every expression, glance and interaction becomes part of internet discourse.