The 2026 Met Gala gave the internet plenty to process: the outfits, the drama, and the red carpet moments. But the conversation that refused to die after everyone went home was not about a look. It was about a four-second hallway interaction between two of the biggest names in music and what it did—or did not—mean.
On May 6, the morning after the dust had barely settled, Tyla woke up, got on TikTok looking visibly fresh from sleep, and decided to address the situation directly. The video received over 204,000 likes and thousands of comments within hours.
What She Said
“Everyone knows I love Rih, oh my gosh,” she said in the video. “So, I met her last night, and she was cool.” 
But “cool,” it turned out, was also brief.
“I met her, but I think she was occupied. I went up to her, I was like, ‘Oh, hey,’ and she was like, ‘Hey, um, my baby daddy’s calling me.’ And then she left,” Tyla said. “I felt awkward. I don’t know how to say hi if I feel like someone’s busy.”
Later that same night, Tyla spotted Rihanna again while waiting for her car. This time, she held back entirely. “I don’t wanna go up because I felt like she was busy. You know what I mean? And the last time she was busy,” she said. “When we do speak—if we do end up speaking ever—I want us to be like calm so we both can just, you know, vibe and talk nicely.”
How It Started
The controversy began on May 4, when both artists attended the Met Gala under the “Costume Art” theme and “Fashion Is Art” dress code. A circulating clip appeared to show Rihanna walking past Tyla without properly acknowledging her, and online posts quickly framed it as a deliberate snub.
Tyla arrived in a Valentino gown that quickly became one of the night’s standout looks: a teal-aqua mermaid skirt with intricate crystal embellishments and peacock-style motifs. Rihanna wore a custom Maison Margiela ensemble inspired by oyster shells and ocean textures. But it was a grainy backstage clip, not either of their outfits, that captured the internet’s attention.
The Internet Reacted — Predictably
The responses split immediately. Some fans defended Rihanna, pointing out she was visibly managing a chaotic event while dealing with personal matters. “So she saw Rih was not in the mood and respected her,” one commenter wrote, adding that people had blown the situation out of proportion.
Others were less charitable toward Rihanna. “I don’t get why Rihanna doesn’t embrace her instead of being jealous and bitter,” one user wrote—a take that many pushed back on.
Adding fuel to the fire, a separate TMZ video appeared to capture what some described as a tense moment between Rihanna and A$AP Rocky after the event. Some viewers claimed the couple looked unhappy, though others argued it was a normal interaction between two people exhausted after a long night. TMZ sources denied rumors of an argument, saying, “It was a long day and they were running on empty.”
SEE ALSO: African Celebs Spotted at the Met Gala 2026: Rating Their Outfits
The Real Story
Tyla’s lighthearted response appears to have dampened the rumors, reminding fans that not every brief celebrity interaction points to behind-the-scenes drama. She was not venting. She was not throwing shade. She woke up, told her truth, and laughed about it.
Rihanna has not responded. She rarely does. And honestly, that is very on-brand.
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