Rihanna first to perform pregnant at Super Bowl halftime
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Superstar recording artist Rihanna shocked millions by revealing her pregnancy during her highly anticipated Super Bowl halftime show performance on Sunday.
Driving the news: Reps of the seven-time Grammy winner confirmed to multiple outlets that the singer is expecting her second child.
Why it matters: The 34-year-old becomes the first pregnant person to headline the Super Bowl halftime show.
- She is also the first female billionaire performer to own the stage during the big game.
Situational awareness: Rihanna is already a mother, having given birth to a son with rapper A$AP Rocky last May.
- During an interview with Nate Burleson, the singer hinted that she was "thinking of bringing someone" on stage, presumably referencing the pregnancy since she didn't bring any guest artists.
Yes, but: Viewers noticed that Rihanna, donning bright red, rubbed her belly while looking right into the camera, which led to heavy speculation that the pop star is expecting. Her reps confirmed later that night.
What they're saying: Rihanna said during a news conference ahead of the Super Bowl on Thursday that she felt like she could "take on the world" after becoming a mother.
- "There's something that just happens where you feel like you ... can do anything, and the Super Bowl is one of the biggest stages in the world," she said.
- "So as scary as that was, because I haven’t been on stage in seven years, there's something exhilarating about the challenge of it all. And it’s important for me to do this; this year it's important for representation and it’s important for my son to see that."
Flashback: Rihanna's "reveal" was reminiscent of fellow singing superstar Beyoncé's at the 2011 VMAs.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with Rihanna's comments from Thursday's news conference.
