Why A$AP Rocky Was 'a Little Embarrassed' the First Time He Met Rihanna Outside a Nightclub Years Before They Started Dating
- - Why A$AP Rocky Was 'a Little Embarrassed' the First Time He Met Rihanna Outside a Nightclub Years Before They Started Dating
Rachel DeSantisJanuary 21, 2026 at 7:55 AM
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A$AP Rocky revealed he first met Rihanna outside of a club in New York before he was famous
Rihanna was exiting the club and A$AP was struggling to get in
The pair started dating in 2020 and are parents to three children
A$AP Rocky still remembers the first time he met his now-partner Rihanna — though he just might want to forget it.
The rapper opened up about his sort-of meet-cute with the pop star during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday, Jan. 19, revealing that they met outside of a New York City nightclub many years ago.
“I wasn’t famous at the time. She was obviously Rihanna. And I couldn’t get in! The bouncers didn’t want to let me in,” he explained. “I was with my friend, the late, great Virgil Abloh and Matthew Williams, and we kinda was getting into it with the bouncers and she kind of came out and we locked eyes right away. I was just like, in a daze.”
Rocky, 37, said Rihanna didn’t help him get into the club that night, and he wasn’t thrilled that that was her first impression of him.
Johnny Nunez/WireImage
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky at an event in New York City on Jan. 18, 2026.
“I was a little embarrassed that she caught me bickering with the guard and stuff like that,” he admitted.
Despite the run-in, things have worked out for the pair, who have been dating since 2020 and are parents to sons RZA, 3, and Riot, 2, and daughter Rocki, who was born in September.
Rocky is currently celebrating the release of his fourth album Don’t Be Dumb, which came out on Jan. 16. When he unveiled the cover art in December, Rihanna, 37, expressed her support in an Instagram comment.
"Sooo f---in proud!!!! 💪🏿❤️ LETS GOOOO BABY,” she wrote.
Johnny Nunez/WireImage
A$AP Rocky and Rihanna at an event in New York City on Jan. 18, 2026.
That same month, the “Punk Rocky” rapper told PEOPLE at the 2025 Gotham Awards that having her support “means everything.”
“Family support is just… spousal support, everything,” he said. “It just means a lot. It goes a long way.”
In September, Rocky teased that he and the “Diamonds” singer may have taken the next step in their relationship. When asked by Elle what he was looking forward to when it came to being a husband, he responded, “How you know I’m not already a husband?”
“I’m still not gonna confirm it,” he said. “When you come home, it’s about family. It’s about your relationship. It’s about your household. It ain’t about all that other s---.”
On Tuesday, Jan. 20, Rocky announced a massive, 42-date tour in support of Don’t Be Dumb. He’ll hit the road in May starting in Chicago, and will wrap up in Paris in late September.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
