There’s having a bad day, and then there’s mistakenly turning Rihanna away from your bar because you fail to recognise the singer and Fenty Beauty founder. In a video that’s blown up this week, however, a bouncer appears to do just that, denying Ri entry on a date night with A$AP Rocky amid a dispute over her ID (or lack of it).
The misunderstanding was initially brought to Twitter’s attention by user @lgforkman, who shared a surprised tweet from the scene, writing: “I just saw a bouncer try to not let rihanna into a bar for not having id lmaoooo.”
A video soon followed, seeming to show Rihanna smirking — in a Pamela Anderson-esque pink fluffy hat and vintage Dior dress, no less — while Rocky attempts to reason with the doorman. In since-published paparazzi footage, meanwhile, someone in the bar is heard shouting “I don’t know who you are”, while another asks if they have any business cards on them.
Unsurprisingly, the internet has a lot to say about the interaction, and a lot of questions. For example, how does a sentient human being not recognise Rihanna? And did the barrage of flashes from the photographers’ cameras not serve as a hint?
Admittedly, the bouncer was probably just doing his job, and they did eventually manage to get inside, as shown in subsequent footage of them playing video games together. However, fans have pointed out that the bouncer could have made a pretty costly mistake (others have suggested it’s simply retribution for the ongoing R9 delay).
A$AP Rocky recently spoke out about his relationship with Rihanna in a cover interview with GQ, calling her the “the love of my life” and “the One”. She also makes an appearance — alongside the likes of Tyler, the Creator, Nicki Minaj, Kim Kardashian, and Naomi Campbell — in a new documentary on the rapper’s time in Swedish jail, Stockholm Syndrome.
Watch the viral video of Rihanna being asked for her ID below.