If I’d known this would be the outcome, I would have never done it. But you don’t realize these things in the moment. It’s no secret that Rihanna has always had issues with the Kardashian-Jenners, but her feelings towards Kendall Jenner have been especially clear. From shading Kendall on social media to giving her dirty looks on the runway, Rihanna hasn’t hidden her dislike for Kendall.
Over the years, people have speculated that this might be because of Kendall’s history with Rihanna’s boyfriend, ASAP Rocky. But now, Rihanna has revealed the real reason she’s never liked Kendall, and it’s even messier than we thought. Their feud actually started back in 2012 when Kendall tweeted, “If Rihanna doesn’t perform ‘Complicated’ tomorrow, I’m going to be very upset,” seemingly pressuring Rihanna to perform her favorite song. It was so embarrassing—I felt really stupid.
Some people thought Kendall was just fangirling over Rihanna when she tweeted about her, especially since she was only 16 at the time. But Rihanna didn’t see it that way and responded with a cutting remark: “Well, don’t come.” This was just the beginning of a long, messy feud between them.
In 2015, things heated up again. Rihanna was set to perform at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show but pulled out at the last minute. The reason? Her friend, British model Jourdan Dunn, was dropped from the show to make way for Kendall.
Rihanna canceled her performance just hours after the news hit the internet, standing up for her friend. Jourdan took to Twitter to share her feelings, saying, “Feeling so much better about not doing BS, sorry I mean VS, now that Rihanna isn’t doing it also.” Although Rihanna’s team tried to spin the story by saying she canceled to focus on her album “Anti,” people weren’t buying it. Social media lit up with praise for Rihanna, with one person tweeting, “Apparently Rihanna canceled her performance in the VS show after knowing that Jourdan Dunn was replaced with Kendall Jenner. Gotta love RiRi.”
Things took a turn for the worse when Kendall Jenner faced backlash for her comments in her August 2018 cover story for Love magazine. She said, “Since the beginning, we’ve been super selective about what shows I would do. I was never one of those girls who would do like 30 shows a season or whatever the f*** those girls do.” This remark didn’t sit well with many people, as it highlighted her privileged background and how out of touch she seemed with the struggles of other models.
Kendall was already under scrutiny, especially after being named the highest-paid model over veterans like Gisele Bündchen, Adriana Lima, and Naomi Campbell. Her comments reminded people of the nepotism that had paved her way to success. One person noted, “Those girls who took 30 shows a season are not just doing it for a living. It’s also their appreciation towards opportunities and chances. Not everyone is born a Kardashian princess, Kendall. They have to be prepared for all opportunities brought to them and fight for their success.”
Things got even worse when Kendall was awarded the Fashion Icon of the Decade award over Rihanna at New York Fashion Week. While Kendall has had her share of iconic looks, many felt it was nothing compared to Rihanna’s fashion influence. People were particularly upset because Kendall was just 21 when she received the award, implying she had been influencing fashion since she was 11. It was clear to many that her social media presence and famous family name played a big part in her receiving the award.
Even though Rihanna didn’t immediately respond to the situation, she didn’t hold back from shading Kendall. We all know Rihanna can be sharp-tongued, so it was only a matter of time before Kendall felt the sting. According to a source who spoke to Star Magazine, Rihanna threw some serious shade at Kendall during the 2018 Met Gala by apparently body-shaming her. The source claimed Rihanna said, “Good thing I have the curves to pull this outfit off. I would hate to be a stick figure.” She then supposedly laughed in Kendall’s face and walked away.
While many people thought Rihanna deserved the Fashion Icon of the Decade award, they weren’t okay with her body-shaming Kendall and called her out for it. But in typical Rihanna fashion, she ignored the critics and shaded Kendall again at the 2022 Fashion Week. She was seen making a stank face while Kendall walked the runway, looking very unimpressed and not trying to hide it at all.
People think Rihanna and ASAP Rocky are shading Kendall Jenner, and here’s why. At Kendall’s last show, Rihanna and ASAP Rocky were in the crowd. People noticed their reactions when Kendall walked by, especially Rihanna’s unimpressed look. This sparked a lot of Twitter memes, with people saying things like, “Rihanna’s face during Kendall Jenner’s walk. RiRi said, ‘I know y’all lying.’” That was Rihanna’s expression when Kendall walked the runway.
Back in 2016, Kendall Jenner and ASAP Rocky were rumored to be dating, and it got a lot of people talking. Some fans speculated that this might be why Rihanna has always seemed to dislike Kendall—maybe it was jealousy, bad blood, or just a coincidence.
For those who might not remember, Kendall and ASAP were often seen together that year, from Paris to New York to Miami and even Los Angeles. They seemed really into each other. They were even spotted being close at the 2017 Coachella, with several sources saying they were together all night. The rumors were pretty much confirmed when Kim Kardashian posted a Snapchat video showing Kylie taking a picture of Kendall and ASAP making out.
Because of this history, some fans thought it might explain why Rihanna supposedly didn’t like Kendall. This sparked a lot of debate—some people criticized Rihanna for being a hater, while others defended her, saying Kendall had it coming.
For those who might not know, Kendall Jenner has a reputation for being mean and arrogant. A few months ago, she was criticized for body-shaming Selena Gomez in a TikTok video alongside Hailey Bieber and Justine Skye, where they lip-synced to the sound, “I’m not saying she deserved it, but God’s timing is always right.” Even before that, Kendall faced backlash from Julia Carolyn, a hostess at Nobu in Manhattan, who claimed Kendall was rude and cold every time she visited. Julia mentioned that Kendall rarely spoke to the servers and usually had someone else do the talking for her.
Julia shared, “Next up, we have Kendall Jenner. Unfortunately, my experiences with her weren’t great. She used to come in all the time and was pretty cold to the staff. She usually had someone speak for her and didn’t address the staff directly. I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt and say she’s just shy. Based on my experiences, I’d rate her a 4.”
But is this really why Rihanna dislikes Kendall and sees her as the “evil sister”? Many other celebrities have also been accused of being unpleasant, but Rihanna doesn’t seem to go out of her way to make their lives difficult like she does with Kendall.
Sources close to Rihanna are finally spilling the tea, and the reason behind it is messier than you probably think. According to these insiders, Rihanna sees Kendall Jenner as a culture vulture who has only gotten where she is by stealing Black culture for herself and her family. Unlike Kendall, Rihanna had to work her way up from the bottom without the backing of a powerful machine pushing her to the forefront. What really irritates Rihanna even more is that Kendall tries to downplay the influence of her family’s name on her career, despite never having to struggle a day in her life.
Take, for example, a TikTok video by a native Mexican woman who called out Kendall for appropriating Mexican culture with her new tequila brand. She accused Kendall of creating a whitewashed version of tequila and putting her name on it, despite having no real knowledge about tequila production or consumption.
“Yesterday, I posted a video about Kendall’s new tequila brand, and many Mexicans are upset, calling it cultural appropriation. Kendall is claiming it’s the best, most authentic tequila grown in Jalisco, but people are asking, ‘What does Kendall Jenner know about growing agave in Jalisco and making tequila?’ To make matters worse, Kendall posted a video of herself sampling the tequila with ice cubes in it. Anyone who drinks tequila knows you don’t drink it with ice.”
“And then some alcohol experts defended Kendall, saying, ‘Actually, adding ice cubes helps bring out the flavors.’ It’s frustrating to hear white Americans telling Mexicans how to drink their tequila. Naturally, Kendall is facing backlash due to her family’s history of cultural appropriation. In this case, it’s justified because Kendall has no real knowledge of the art, culture, and history of tequila-making in Mexico. She paid a Mexican company to do all the work, slapped her label on it, and took all the credit.”
“For those saying, ‘Well, that’s capitalism,’ that’s the problem. People of color do all the work, and white people get all the credit.”
Considering all this, it’s easy to understand why Rihanna might see Kendall as the “evil sister.” Rumor has it that this is the reason Rihanna banned Kendall from modeling in her Savage X Fenty show, despite letting her close friends like Gigi and Bella walk the runway multiple times. It’s unclear if Rihanna will ever forgive Kendall, but many fans believe Kendall desperately wants to be friends with Rihanna and is hoping for the day when Rihanna changes her mind. Personally, I doubt that day will ever come.
Fans have been vocal about their opinions. One said, “RiRi is a queen who worked hard to get where she is, unlike Kendall. The Kardashians think the world revolves around them, and Rihanna proved that’s not the case.” Another added, “I think Rihanna sees through Kendall’s success. Say what you want about her rise in the modeling industry, but her family and privilege were major factors. Sure, she showed up to castings like any model, but that doesn’t prove much. Rihanna worked hard for everything she has, while Kendall had a privileged head start.”
So, what do you think? How do you feel about Rihanna’s apparent dislike for Kendall? Do you think Rihanna sees Kendall as the “evil sister” because of her behavior? Share your thoughts in the comments below