Rihanna left her fans hyperventilating on Feb. 15 after she shared a provocative topless snapshot while sporting lavender Fenty shorts and matching accessories. The entrepreneur stood seductively and placed one arm to conceal her breasts as she stared off into the distance.
The “What’s My Name” singer embellished the barely-there ensemble with a slicked-back ponytail, full face, and red lips. In the upload, Rihanna posted the lyrics to Popcaan’s 2018 song “Naked,” “when @popcaanmusic said ‘me nuh wan ya wear no lingerie tonight fa me girl’ @savagexfenty.”
Both fans and celebrities — like Issa Rae, Chloe Bailey, and Dreezy — salivated over the star’s revealing look.
Issa Rae: “The boxers come with the body?”
“VOCABULARY LOST 🤯🥵😍.”
Dreezy: “The girls is sittin pretty period 😍.”
Chloe Bailey: “omg 😍😍😭😍 how are you so beautiful.”
“alright so you woke up and said ’let me break the internet real quick’ 🔥”
While many raved over the “Work” singer’s sultry look, others brought up how the 32-year-old was sexualizing the Ganesha pendant used in the Hindu religion to bring good luck in their personal and professional life.
One wrote, “Are we not going to talk about the cultural appropriation?! Wearing a Ganesh necklace whilst naked seems very disrespectful to Hinduism.”
Another told the Fenty creator, “Lookin good queen! But please, the pendant you’re wearing? The Hindu god Ganesha? Would be appreciated if you didn’t disrespect it like that, it’s a religious symbol and not something to be worn as a fashion accessory.”
An Instagram user suggested the star remove the photo from her page because they felt as an influencer with millions of followers, they should be setting an example for her fans. “Wearing that Ganesh pendant is cultural appropriation. As an influencer with millions of followers, you ought to be mindful about offending someone’s faith. It’s not fair. Hinduism and other religions are NOT open for such cultural appropriation. Remove this. Please 🥺💔.”
Rihanna faced backlash for a Savage x Fenty fashion show that included celebs like Willow Smith back in October after the lingerie models were dancing along to a 2017 song called “Doom,” which features an Islamic verse. The pop star immediately apologized on her Instagram Story upon receiving the news of the show’s fallout.
She said, “I would like to thank the Muslim community for pointing out a huge oversight that was unintentionally offensive in our Savage x Fenty show. I would, more importantly, like to apologize to you for this honest yet careless mistake. We understand that we have hurt many of our Muslim brothers and sisters, and I’m incredibly disheartened by this!”
