Rihanna’s halftime show at the Super Bowl stole the show, but one moment on stage surprised some fans even more.
Last night’s Super Bowl was a lot of fun, and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles in a thrilling 38–35 victory that made them the NFL champions.
Patrick Mahomes was the game’s best player. He showed why he is the NFL’s Most Valuable Player by playing through an ankle injury to lead his team to a thrilling win that got them to the Super Bowl for the second time in four years.
But in the middle of all the football talk, the 34-year-old hitmaker returned to the stage for the first time in seven years at the Super Bowl Halftime show in Glendale, Arizona.
Rihanna performed a medley of her biggest hits like “B*tch Better Have My Money,” “Where Have You Been,” “Rude Boy,” and “Diamonds” after taking a break from music to focus on her businesses.
Fans immediately wondered if Rihanna was pregnant because she was wearing a PVC bustier and a bright red jumpsuit with the zipper undone, which showed a small baby bump.
During her performance, Rihanna was also seen cradling and stroking her stomach. Her rep later confirmed that she and her boyfriend A$AP Rocky are expecting another child.
But her pregnancy wasn’t the most interesting thing that happened that night. Instead, people watching at home noticed something strange about the dance routine as Rihanna sang “Rude Boy.”
Watch the moment below:
https://twitter.com/videosrih/status/1624994171877527552?s=20&t=kQxUNNES5n8wRdkVhJo6bg
As the camera moved onto the stage and past her amazing dancers, the singer of “Only Girl in the World” rubbed her hand across her crotch and did a few gyrations. Then Rihanna put her hand up to her nose and pretended to sniff it.
Even though some people liked her sultry moves, others said that it made it hard for football fans to watch with their families during halftime.
One user wrote:
Did Rihanna just scratch her crotch then smell her fingers?
https://twitter.com/VinoVeritas1984/status/1624945776647409664?s=20&t=Dl-s-7tXiSIDCBwlnN2veg
Another said:
Rihanna just touched her crotch and smelled it during the #SuperBowl halftime show and my conservative mother in law just about buckled in front of the tv.
Rihanna just touched her crotch and smelled it during the #SuperBowl half time show and my conservative mother in law just about buckled in front of the tv.
— Nick Walden Poublon (@NWPinPDX) February 13, 2023
A third commented:
Call me old fashioned but rubbing the crotch and then sniffing the hand is a bit much for a football game.
SHE’S BAAAACK 👑 @Rihanna #AppleMusicHalftime pic.twitter.com/rH2G9r2RSc
— NFL (@NFL) February 13, 2023
A fourth shared:
Classless halftime performance. Kids watch football too Rihanna, and that crotch rub & sniff was just nasty!
Classless halftime performance. Kids watch football too Rihanna, and that crotch rub & sniff was just nasty!
— KCloud (@KCloud721) February 13, 2023
A source reports that at a press conference last Thursday (February 9), the famous singer said that putting her great music into just 13 minutes was “the hardest part.”
That was the hardest, hardest part – deciding how to maximize 13 minutes but also celebrate,
she said, revealing that there were 39 versions of the setlist.
That’s what this show is gonna be – it’s gonna be a celebration of my catalog in the best way that we could’ve put it together,
she added.
Backstage, her close friends joined her to celebrate her performance, which made history because she was the first woman to headline a Super Bowl halftime show while she was pregnant.
In an Instagram video, Rihanna was still wearing part of her performance outfit, but not the big jacket. Her friends were hyping her up after she did a good job.
