The singer didn't attend the fashion event as she's awaiting the arrival of her first child.
Rihanna may have skipped the 2022 Met Gala as she awaits the arrival of her and A$AP Rocky's first child, but her presence was felt by everyone who attended thanks to a special honor. The 34-year-old singer shared a look at a statue that was unveiled inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday night, which shows her proudly showing off her baby bump.
"Shut down the met in marble!" Rihanna captioned an Instagram clip, before referencing this year's Met Gala gilded age theme. "What’s more gilded than that? Lol! Thank you @metmuseum and @voguemagazine for this historic tribute! y’all bad for this one!"
Rihanna's statue shows her wearing the form-fitting dress she rocked on the May cover of Vogue. A post on the magazine's official Instagram further explained the design process for the beautiful sculpture.
"The statue of 'Eirene (The Personification of Peace)' is usually the highest-profile marble goddess @themetmuseum Greco-Roman galleries," the post read. "But now we’ve got @badgalriri, straight off this month’s Vogue cover."
A source told ET that Rihanna would not be attending this year's Met Gala because she's due soon and limiting her travel.
In the May issue of Vogue, Rihanna opened up about her iconic pregnancy style, which she has fully embraced since confirming her happy news in January.
“When I found out I was pregnant, I thought to myself, 'There’s no way I’m going to go shopping in no maternity aisle.' I’m sorry—it’s too much fun to get dressed up," she shared. "I’m not going to let that part disappear because my body is changing."
"I'm hoping that we were able to redefine what's considered 'decent' for pregnant women," the singer added. "My body is doing incredible things right now, and I’m not going to be ashamed of that. This time should feel celebratory. Because why should you be hiding your pregnancy?"
Rihanna also got sentimental, sharing her hopes for her unborn child. "They're going to teach me more than I could ever teach them," she said. "And I want them to go for it. I want to see who they are in the world, who they become. Because I’m just here to keep them on the rails—a passenger as much as the driver."
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