I think her music is great. I’m not a hater; good music is good music. She’s a pretty girl, but that doesn’t mean you can just book anyone. It doesn’t work like that.
I know many of you see Rihanna as an absolute icon, but allegedly, there was a time when she was difficult to deal with. Tiana Taylor experienced her mean side, and they’ve disliked each other for years. Do you think you and Rihanna will ever be cool?
“No, no.”
So, what’s the real story between Tiana and Rihanna? What did Rihanna do to make Tiana dislike her so much? Some people say Tiana hasn’t always been nice and has done her share of bad things to Rihanna, like allegedly leaking Rihanna’s explicit pictures and sticking by Chris Brown during his domestic violence incident with Rihanna.
Tiana and Chris Brown were close friends for years, part of a Harlem group called The Breakfast Club. When Rihanna entered the scene, she also became friends with Tiana. However, in 2009, after Chris Brown’s infamous altercation with Rihanna, Tiana sided with Chris because of their long-standing friendship. While she didn’t condone his actions, Tiana stated she would support him regardless. In her words, “He had to go on and talk about the situation because no one heard his side. I don’t condone what he did; it’s never right to hit a woman, but I’m gonna be by his side anyway.”
Tiana opened up to Vibe about the backlash she faced for standing by Chris Brown amidst accusations of domestic violence. “A lot of folks were quick to jump on different bandwagons, and I found that disappointing. Chris has always been like a brother to me, even before the incident with Rihanna. We clicked instantly when we met – from our shared love for fashion, basketball, to dancing, you name it. I’ve known him for four years, and I was one of the few who didn’t turn my back on him when everything went down.”
However, Rihanna wasn’t pleased with Tiana’s loyalty to Chris, and their relationship took a hit. Another point of contention arose when, during the tumultuous period between Rihanna and Chris, Rihanna reached out to Soulja Boy, who happened to be dating Tiana at the time.
“Soulja Boy recalled the situation, saying, ‘Rihanna, a big name in R&B, had just faced public humiliation. So, I invited her to the show, not thinking much of it. At that time, I was with Tiana Taylor.'”
According to Soulja Boy’s account, when Rihanna arrived at the tour bus, he asked everyone, including Tiana, to leave, which understandably angered her.
“I told Tiana, ‘You gotta bounce. I know you’re my girl, but Rihanna just hopped on the bus. We gotta clear out.’ She was livid. She called Chris a snitch, saying, ‘He’s on the bus with Rihanna right now.'”
The tension between Tiana and Rihanna reached new heights when Tiana struck up a close friendship with Karrueche Tran, Rihanna’s biggest rival and Chris Brown’s subsequent girlfriend. Tiana didn’t mince words, stating that if Rihanna expected her loyalty over Karrueche, she was sorely mistaken. To Tiana, her bond with Rihanna stemmed from her connection with Chris Brown, whom she considered family, and thus, she felt compelled to make his girlfriends feel at home.
Ideally, the rivalry between Rihanna and Tiana should have ended there. However, by 2012, it became increasingly clear that deeper issues were at play. When Tiana hinted that Rihanna had copied her style, Rihanna took offense. In an interview with Complex, Tiana elaborated on how she pioneered the fusion of a sexy, tomboyish aesthetic with her early ventures into both rapping and singing. She explained, “I truly believe I’ve had a significant influence on several artists, but I don’t see it as a negative thing. I respect them. When I first entered the scene, it wasn’t socially acceptable for girls to rock sneakers, hats, and streetwear. I faced criticism. But now, the tomboy look is seen as sexy. Rihanna and Rita Ora are prime examples of this chic, sexy style. I’m proud to have paved the way. Seeing fellow artists embrace this look brings me immense joy. Wearing sneakers and a hat doesn’t define your sexuality.”
Hey, could someone please clue Tiana in on a couple of underrated artists called TLC and Aaliyah? They were rocking the tomboy vibe way before she hit the scene. Some might say they laid the groundwork for her style, but who am I to say?
Back in September 2013, things between Rihanna and Tiana got pretty heated. Rihanna wasn’t too pleased with some comments and decided to take it up a notch. It got really messy. Rihanna made it pretty obvious she wasn’t feeling Tiana when, lo and behold, after Tiana posted a video singing Anita Baker’s “Caught Up in the Rapture,” Rihanna went ahead and had her hairstylist, Yusef, belt out the same tune in Tiana’s trademark look: curly hair and a baseball cap. It was like Rihanna was straight-up mocking her, and Tiana wasn’t about to let that slide without a comeback. She fired off a tweet straight at Rihanna, calling her out for being petty and throwing shade. Tiana didn’t mince words, pointing out Rihanna’s calculated move of having her crew sing the same song, same part, same style.
When Tiana labeled Rihanna as petty, Rihanna wasn’t about to take it lying down. She fired back, making a joke about Tiana’s net worth being a mere $500,000 compared to her own whopping $90 million. The rivalry escalated, with both of them changing their cover photos to show they weren’t backing down. Rihanna flaunted a comparison of their net worths, while Tiana went for the jugular, using a photoshopped image of herself smacking a picture of Rihanna’s face—a reference to the Chris Brown incident. Ouch.
Tiana came back with a sharp retort, suggesting Rihanna’s wealth and influence were built not on talent but on a high body count, a sentiment shared by many. Rihanna, feeling the sting, chose not to engage further, realizing it would only boost Tiana’s career. She made it clear she wouldn’t endorse Tiana without compensation.
Their Twitter spat intensified, but it was Tiana who faced the consequences, particularly for a controversial joke about Chris Brown. Rihanna’s fans launched a petition urging Adidas Reebok to drop Tiana, which they did. Adidas emphasized their commitment to partnering with individuals reflecting their brand values, signaling the end of their collaboration with Tiana Taylor.
Tiana took to Twitter to clap back at the naysayers, posting, “Listen up haters, just so you know, my Adidas kicks flew off the shelves faster than anyone else’s in history.” And when she was pressed about losing her deal because of Rihanna, she didn’t hold back.
“Still rocking the Adidas gig? Or did RiRi have a hand in shaking things up after my first sneaker dropped? That’s what the word on the street says, right?”
Rumors swirled that Rihanna might’ve flexed her star power to sway decisions, possibly fueling Tiana’s resentment towards her. Later, Tiana spilled the tea about her beef with Rihanna on Hot 97, expressing her confusion over Rihanna’s public jabs. She didn’t mince words about how Rihanna’s fans seemed to give her a pass while targeting her.
Eventually, Rihanna and Tiana tried to smooth things over publicly. When a Rihanna fan crossed the line with disrespectful comments (which were later deleted) about Tiana’s late grandparents, Rihanna slid into the fan’s DMs to set things straight and school them on the difference between being a fan and being a troll. Tiana reciprocated by giving props to Rihanna, even shouting her out on her April 2014 Vogue cover. And when Tiana hit up The Breakfast Club, she made it clear there was no lingering beef, blaming any drama on overly passionate fans. Come September 2016, Tiana couldn’t contain her excitement about her exclusive Puma x Fenty line, a gift personally sent to her courtesy of Rihanna.
They might have patched things up behind the scenes, but Hollywood has taught us that celebrities often maintain a facade of friendliness even amid unresolved issues. In this case, it’s tough to take sides because it’s been rumored that both Rihanna and Tiana were difficult to work with. However, it’s worth pondering: who really contributed more to the conflict? Was Chris Brown the main catalyst for their fallout, or were there other factors involved? I’d love to hear your take on this in the comments below.
