Talk about epic reveals. During Sunday’s Super Bowl halftime show, Rihanna subtly gave away that she’s pregnant with her second child.
A representative for the Grammy Award-winning singer confirmed the news shortly after Rihanna’s performance — and visible baby bump — stirred mass speculation online.
Rihanna, the first pregnant woman to star in a Super Bowl halftime show, is expecting her second child with partner A$AP Rocky. The pair had their first child together in May 2022.
From the elevated Super Bowl stage, Rihanna — dressed in a bright red, mostly unzipped jumpsuit layered over a skin-tight bodysuit — cradled her stomach between choreography. Dancers wearing white ski-style suits and shaded goggles had their own suspended platforms that moved in concert with hers.
There were also none of the constant costume changes and scene shifts from previous years. The theme — and the colour scheme — stayed the same throughout the 13-minute show, with red lights bathing the stage at times and golden fireworks exploding in the air above her.
Rocky was also present at the game and was seen dancing to Rihanna’s performance from the sidelines.
In an earlier promotional interview for her Super Bowl performance, Rihanna told CBS’s Nate Burleson that she had a surprise planned for her halftime show.
“I’m thinking of bringing someone. I’m not sure, but we’ll see,” she said.
Rihanna was three months postpartum when she accepted the Super Bowl halftime show contract. She told The Hollywood Reporter that she wanted her son to witness the performance.
“When you become a mom, there’s something that just happens where you feel like you could take on the world — you can do anything. And the Super Bowl is one of the biggest stages in the world, so as scary as that was … there’s something exhilarating about the challenge of it all,” she said. “It’s important for my son to see that.”
Rihanna performed a 12-minute set featuring some of her biggest hits, including B—h Better Have My Money, Umbrella, Diamonds and We Found Love.
Rihanna’s performance was her first solo performance event in seven years, and her first since becoming a mother.
In the end, the Kansas City Chiefs triumphed in a dramatic 38-35 win over the Philadelphia Eagles to claim their second Super Bowl in four years.
Die-hard Chiefs fan Paul Rudd was on the field before the game, sporting a big smile and a team jersey.
Philadelphia native Bradley Cooper, wearing an Eagles T-shirt, celebrated from the stands as his team put the first points of a thriller of a game on the board. Another famous Philly fan, Kevin Hart, wearing a jersey, stood and flapped his arms.
Jay-Z, Tiffany Haddish, rapper GloRilla, basketball star LeBron James and chef Gordon Ramsay were also spotted in the stadium.
— With files from The Associated Press