Since revealing her baby bump in the most stylish way a few weeks ago, Rihanna has continued to give us fashion moments that have taken the internet by storm and this past weekend was no different. Ri Ri attended two different red carpet events, the first being the celebration of her Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin line and the second being the Savage X Fenty store opening in Los Angeles.
The 33-year-old singer had her baby bump semi-exposed during the Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin party while wearing a sexy green shredded halter top and silver and purple shredded pants that exposed her backside.
However, when she popped out at the Savage X Fenty event, she was fully covered wearing an all-red custom Alaia dress. Her beau A$AP Rocky was by her side at both outings looking fly as well. At her Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin party, Rihanna spoke with Entertainment Tonight about her maternity fashions.
Rich Fury/Getty Images for Fenty Beauty & Fenty Skin
“I’m trying to enjoy it [pregnancy] as much as I could and fashion is one of my favorite things so redefining what it means to even be pregnant and maternal,” she said. “It can get uncomfortable at times, so you can dress the part and pretend.”
Speaking to Access, she called fitting clothes with her pregnant belly a “challenge,” but something she enjoys. She also touched on the inspiration behind her pregnancy reveal photos.
“I just wanted to wear something like I wasn’t pregnant. What I would wear and enjoy wearing. It was fun to be able to wear it in this way, kinda, all flasharoo,” she said. “It was good. It was cold as hell that day, but we got it done.”
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
On Jan. 31, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky broke the internet when photos surfaced of the couple walking around New York with the singer’s baby bump exposed. Rihanna wore a vintage Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld pink long puffer coat that buttoned right to her belly and extra-long ripped blue jeans and heels. She accessorized the look with layered necklaces and a chain belt.
As of yet, the singer hasn’t revealed how far along she is in the pregnancy or the sex of the child. However, she did open up about the moment she found out she was pregnant.
"When I first found out, it's not real, you know? I was like, 'This is not for real, right?'" she toldE! News. "And then, it was and it's almost like you don't want to get too excited too soon because it's great news, but you...want to see that it's going to see its way through. And I'm so glad that we're this far along and now I can celebrate with everyone."
Featured image by Mike Coppola/Getty Images
In a xoNecoleexclusive, the iconic actress opens up about embracing this season of her life, new projects, and overall being a “bad motherfucker.” Gabrielle reveals that she was 37 years old when she was diagnosed with perimenopause and is still going through it at 51 years old. Mayo Clinic says perimenopause “refers to the time during which your body makes the natural transition to menopause, marking the end of the reproductive years.”
“I haven't crossed over the next phase just yet, but I think part of it is when you hear any form of menopause, you automatically think of your mother or grandmother. It feels like an old-person thing, but for me, I was 37 and like not understanding what that really meant for me. And I don't think we focus so much on the word menopause without understanding that perimenopause is just the time before menopause,” she tells us.
Gabrielle Union
Photo by Brian Thomas
"But you can experience a lot of the same things during that period that people talk about, that they experienced during menopause. So you could get a hot flash, you could get the weight gain, the hair loss, depression, anxiety, like all of it, mental health challenges, all of that can come, you know, at any stage of the menopausal journey and like for me, I've been in perimenopause like 13, 14 years. When you know, most doctors are like, ‘Oh, but it's usually about ten years, and I'm like, ‘Uhh, I’m still going (laughs).’”
Conversations about perimenopause, fibroids, and all the things that are associated with women’s bodies have often been considered taboo and thus not discussed publicly. However, times are changing, and thanks to the Gabrielle’s and the Tia Mowry’s, more women are having an authentic discourse about women’s health. These open discussions lead to the creation of more safe spaces and support for one another.
“I want to be in community with folks. I don't ever want to feel like I'm on an island about anything. So, if I can help create community where we are lacking, I want to be a part of that,” she says. “So, it's like there's no harm in talking about it. You know what I mean? Like, I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. I’m a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what I’m saying? None of that has to change. How I’m a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change. I'm just getting better and stronger and more intelligent, more wise, more patient, more compassionate, more empathetic. All of that is very, very welcomed, and none of it should be scary.”
The Being Mary Jane star hasn’t been shy about her stance on therapy. If you don’t know, here’s a hint: she’s all for it, and she encourages others to try it as well. She likens therapy to dating by suggesting that you keep looking for the right therapist to match your needs. Two other essential keys to her growth are radical transparency and radical acceptance (though she admits she is still working on the latter).
"I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. I’m a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what I’m saying? None of that has to change. How I’m a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change."
Gabrielle Union and Kaavia Union-Wade
Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images
“I hope that a.) you recognize that you're not alone. Seek out help and know that it's okay to be honest about what the hell is happening in your life. That's the only way that you know you can get help, and that's also the only other way that people know that you are in need if there's something going on,” she says, “because we have all these big, very wild, high expectations of people, but if they don't know what they're actually dealing with, they're always going to be failing, and you will always be disappointed. So how about just tell the truth, be transparent, and let people know where you are. So they can be of service, they can be compassionate.”
Gabrielle’s transparency is what makes her so relatable, and has so many people root for her. Whether through her TV and film projects, her memoirs, or her social media, the actress has a knack for making you feel like she’s your homegirl. Scrolling through her Instagram, you see the special moments with her family, exciting new business ventures, and jaw-dropping fashion moments. Throughout her life and career, we’ve seen her evolve in a multitude of ways. From producing films to starting a haircare line to marriage and motherhood, her journey is a story of courage and triumph. And right now, in this season, she’s asking, “What’s next?”
“This is a season of discovery and change. In a billion ways,” says the NAACP Image Award winner. “The notion of like, ‘Oh, so and so changed. They got brand new.’ I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
"I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
She continues, “So I'm just trying to figure out what's next. You know what I mean? I'm jumping into what's next. I'm excited going into what's next and new. I'm just sort of embracing all of what life has to offer.”
Look out for Gabrielle in the upcoming indie film Riff Raff, which is a crime comedy starring her and Jennifer Coolidge, and she will also produce The Idea of You, which stars Anne Hathaway.
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