Carmelo Anthony finally gave fans the answers they had been waiting for. At the 2014 Met Gala, one picture that made the rounds featured RnB sensation Rihanna, but in the background, NBA superstar Carmelo Anthony was staring at her with anger. Well now, Melo revealed on his ‘7 PM in Brooklyn’ podcast that his anger wasn’t directed at Rihanna, but at the hoards of photographers that were crowding the Met Gala.
“I’mma tell you the real story. It was after the Met. We’re already in there, having a good time. Every time a celebrity comes in, the cameras go crazy. It’s small in that area. So you see all the flashes. It’s a commotion when you walk in there. I finally walk in, get through the cameras, and sit down. Now I found my comfort zone.”
“I’m sitting where y’all are sitting at, trying to be low. Rih walks in, cameras go crazy. There’s only one area to go to. And I’m like ‘Please, don’t come over here’. The flashes go off, and I put my head down. I look up, and she’s right there posing. The cameras is going and I’m like [makes expression].”
The REAL story behind how Melo’s viral Rihanna meme came to be 😂 pic.twitter.com/iNEg1q4jpe
— 7PM in Brooklyn (@7PMinBrooklyn) January 16, 2025
Anthony was certainly within his rights to be annoyed at the situation. And it is far from Rihanna’s fault. Oftentimes, photographers and members of the paparazzi cannot stop themselves from going overboard with the amount of pictures they are taking, and it often comes at the expense of the people in front of the cameras. Melo just got caught in a moment of frustration.
When the picture went viral, Anthony contacted Rihanna to clarify and ensure that there were no misunderstandings. To this day, it is one of the most iconic pictures in pop culture history, and it is even referenced in songs, as J. Cole did a few years ago.
Rihanna Is A Massive LeBron James Fan
Of course, this wouldn’t have been Rihanna’s first major interaction with a high-profile NBA star. The ‘Rude Boy’ singer has been spotted at numerous NBA games and is well-known as a massive LeBron James fan. Given Melo’s closeness with LeBron, it is very possible that he had interacted with Rihanna several times before and since the picture.
Rih has always shown support for LeBron James, even once telling Warriors fans off for heckling the King during an NBA Finals game. And when James broke the NBA’s all-time scoring record two years ago, Rihanna was one of the first and many celebrities to give him his flowers.
But their friendship is far from one-sided. During Rihanna’s incredible 2023 Super Bowl performance, James showed massive respect to the superstar for her incredible catalog of music. Just a few months later, the two even shared a moment at the Louis Vitton fashion show in Paris.
Hopefully, Rihanna is enjoying James’ current NBA season with the Lakers. Despite turning 40 last month, he is playing incredible basketball every night. Perhaps she will be courtside tonight when the Lakers play the Nets in Los Angeles at 10:30 PM EST.
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