
After much speculation, Rihanna finally confirmed that she is expecting her first child with boyfriend A$AP Rocky. Photos of the couple walking around New York City with the singer’s baby bump exposed spread like wildfire on the internet. Fans were shocked and happy for the fashionable couple.
rihanna and rocky so beautiful, so i know that baby bout to be gorgeous af.
— ky 🦋 (@kyjanaee) January 31, 2022
So happy for Rihanna now is her time
— chloexhalle (@LGoldenprofits) January 31, 2022
The “Diamonds” singer sparked pregnancy rumors last year when fans pointed out her consistently wearing baggy clothing. However, she denied the claims. Rihanna and A$AP Rocky have been friends for years before ultimately dating in 2020.
They have both even talked about having kids. In a 2020 interview with British Vogue, Rihanna revealed that she planned to have three to four kids in the next 10 years, with or without a man in her life. "I feel like society makes me want to feel like, 'Oh, you got it wrong …' They diminish you as a mother if there's not a dad in your kids' lives. But the only thing that matters is happiness; that's the only healthy relationship between a parent and a child. That's the only thing that can raise a child truly, is love."
And in the June/July 2021 issue of GQ, the Harlem rapper gushed about the singer calling her “the One” and spoke on fatherhood. "I think I'd be an incredible, remarkably overall amazing dad. I would have a very fly child. Very," he said. We agree!
Here’s a timeline of how their love began.
2012
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky collaborated on the remix of the singer’s song “Cockiness (Love It)” and they performed together at the VMA’s that same year.
2013
The singer starred as the leading lady in A$AP Rocky’s music video for “Fashion Killa.”
2018
They were both spotted sitting front row at the Louis Vuttion show during Paris Fashion Week in June.
2019
Jeff Spicer/BFC/Getty ImagesRihanna and A$AP Rocky walked the red carpet together at the British Fashion Awards (as friends.) They both were wearing Rih Rih’s Fenty brand.
Jan. 2020
Rumors began that Rihanna and A$AP Rocky were dating after she reportedly broke up with Hassan Jameel and was seen hanging out with the rapper.
Aug. 2020
The two teamed up to promote Rih’s Fenty Skin brand. They appeared in a video for GQ where the “Praise The Lord” rapper had to answer 18 questions from the “What’s My Name?” singer.
Dec. 2020
After reports confirmed that they were dating the “jiggy” rapper was spotted spending Christmas in Rihanna’s home country of Barbados.
Jan. 2021
Rihanna posted photos wearing the Amina Muaddi x AWGE LSD Gladi Thigh Heel, which Rocky designed in collaboration with the footwear designer.
May 2021
The “Wild for the Night” rapper opened up about his love for Rihanna in GQ. "So much better when you got the One,” he said. “She amounts to probably, like, a million of the other ones. I think when you know, you know. She's the One."
Sept. 2021

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky made their red carpet debut as a couple at The Met Gala.
Jan. 2022
The couple "announced" that they are expecting their first child together. Click here to see more of the photos from her paparazzi baby bump stroll.
Congratulations to the parents-to-be!
Featured image by Taylor Hill/WireImage/Getty Images
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Exclusive: Viral It Girl Kayla Nicole Is Reclaiming The Mic—And The Narrative
It’s nice to have a podcast when you’re constantly trending online. One week after setting timelines ablaze on Halloween, Kayla Nicole released an episode of her Dear Media pop culture podcast, The Pre-Game, where she took listeners behind the scenes of her viral costume.
The 34-year-old had been torn between dressing up as Beyoncé or Toni Braxton, she says in the episode. She couldn’t decide which version of Bey she’d be, though. Two days before the holiday, she locked in her choice, filming a short recreation of Braxton’s “He Wasn’t Man Enough for Me” music video that has since garnered nearly 6.5M views on TikTok.
Kayla Nicole says she wore a dress that was once worn by Braxton herself for the Halloween costume. “It’s not a secret Toni is more on the petite side. I’m obsessed with all 5’2” of her,” she tells xoNecole via email. “But I’m 5’10'' and not missing any meals, honey, so to my surprise, when I got the dress and it actually fit, I knew it was destiny.”
The episode was the perfect way for the multihyphenate to take control of her own narrative. By addressing the viral moment on her own platform, she was able to stir the conversation and keep the focus on her adoration for Braxton, an artist she says she grew up listening to and who still makes her most-played playlist every year. Elsewhere, she likely would’ve received questions about whether or not the costume was a subliminal aimed at her ex-boyfriend and his pop star fiancée. “I think that people will try to project their own narratives, right?” she said, hinting at this in the episode. “But, for me personally – I think it’s very important to say this in this moment – I’m not in the business of tearing other women down. I’m in the business of celebrating them.”
Kayla Nicole is among xoNecole’s It Girl 100 Class of 2025, powered by SheaMoisture, recognized in the Viral Voices category for her work in media and the trends she sets on our timelines, all while prioritizing her own mental and physical health. As she puts it: “Yes, I’m curating conversations on my podcast The Pre-Game, and cultivating community with my wellness brand Tribe Therepē.”
Despite being the frequent topic of conversation online, Kayla Nicole says she’s learning to take advantage of her growing social media platform without becoming consumed by it. “I refuse to let the internet consume me. It’s supposed to be a resource and tool for connection, so if it becomes anything beyond that I will log out,” she says.
On The Pre-Game, which launched earlier this year, she has positioned herself as listeners “homegirl.” “There’s definitely a delicate dance between being genuine and oversharing, and I’ve had to learn that the hard way. Now I share from a place of reflection, not reaction,” she says. “If it can help someone feel seen or less alone, I’ll talk about it within reason. But I’ve certainly learned to protect parts of my life that I cherish most. I share what serves connection but doesn’t cost me peace.
"I refuse to let the internet consume me. It’s supposed to be a resource and tool for connection, so if it becomes anything beyond that I will log out."

Credit: Malcolm Roberson
Throughout each episode, she sips a cocktail and addresses trending topics (even when they involve herself). It’s a platform the Pepperdine University alumnus has been preparing to have since she graduated with a degree in broadcast journalism, with a concentration in political science.
“I just knew I was going to end up on a local news network at the head anchor table, breaking high speed chases, and tossing it to the weather girl,” she says. Instead, she ended up working as an assistant at TMZ before covering sports as a freelance reporter. (She’s said she didn’t work for ESPN, despite previous reports saying otherwise.) The Pre-Game combines her love for pop culture and sports in a way that once felt inaccessible to her in traditional media.
She’s not just a podcaster, though. When she’s not behind the mic, taking acting classes or making her New York Fashion Week debut, Kayla Nicole is also busy elevating her wellness brand Tribe Therepē, where she shares her workouts and the workout equipment that helps her look chic while staying fit. She says the brand will add apparel to its line up in early 2026.
“Tribe Therepē has evolved into exactly what I have always envisioned. A community of women who care about being fit not just for the aesthetic, but for their mental and emotional well-being too. It’s grounded. It’s feminine. It’s strong,” she says. “And honestly, it's a reflection of where I am in my life right now. I feel so damn good - mentally, emotionally, and physically. And I am grateful to be in a space where I can pour that love and light back into the community that continues to pour into me.”
Tap into the full It Girl 100 Class of 2025 and meet all the women changing game this year and beyond. See the full list here.
Featured image by Malcolm Roberson
Jon B. Talks New Album, 18-Year Marriage & Being A Girl Dad
Since 1995, Jon B. has been entertaining us with his soulful voice, belting out R&B classics like “They Don’t Know” and “Someone to Love.” Despite his immense success, Jon decided to prioritize his family and take a step back from the music scene. He got married, and together, he and his wife had daughters. While he didn’t release any new music during this period, Jon remained dedicated to his fans by touring and maintaining his connection with them.
"I'm raising two daughters," he tells xoNecole exclusively. "One is 11 now, and one is 18, and both need their dad. Besides being a father, a rock star on the weekends, and a husband of 18 years, the real thing that kept me the busiest over the last 10 years was the road, keeping the bread on the table, and staying with my fans. Nevertheless, connecting with the fans and keeping that relationship alive. Regardless of whether I was on the radio every five minutes or whatnot. I just wanted to keep that relationship alive, and the best way to do that is just go and perform."
A decade later, Jon B. dropped a new album, WAITING on YOU. The album title alone is a nod to fans who have been waiting on him to release new music. The "Are You Still Down" singer collaborated with Rick Ross, Alex Isley, Tank, and Donell Jones on the album, giving fans a little bit of everything.
"Compiling this album was a labor of love because it was me sort of picking the gems. I wrote so many songs over the last 30 years. I wanted to go back and dust some old gems off and see if I can rework these records," he says. "Some of them are kind of reworks from back in the day, from back in the late '90s. I just kind of love the beat. One of the songs on my album is a vintage cut. I'll call it a vintage cut because I did it in '98. It's a song called "Pick Me Up."
"There's a little bit of the old and a little bit of the new, but WAITING on YOU, I felt was an appropriate name for the album, being that it was 10 years and it's really about my relationship that I have with my fans. Not only is it the relationship I have with my wife and my children, it's the extended relationship I have with with you guys, the listeners."
"There's a little bit of the old and a little bit of the new, but WAITING on YOU, I felt was an appropriate name for the album, being that it was 10 years and it's really about my relationship that I have with my fans."
His wife and kids are his biggest supporters and he shared that they sometimes give their opinion on his music. When it comes to his relationship with his wife, he says communication and patience are the keys to lasting. "I don't mean to sound like Dr. Phil up in here, but 18 years, going on 19, and it's like, I'm not counting, but I guess we're doing something right because we're very happy people," he says.
"I'm making music that reflects what I feel in my heart, which is pretty cool to share with the world now as a grown ass man instead of a guy who was growing up and had an old soul and I was figuring stuff out. I'm grateful for those records, but I really feel like these records are like a guy celebrating everything that I've been blessed to experience so far."
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