Rihanna 'Shut Down' The 2022 Met Gala With A 'Historic' Maternity Statue

Rihanna might have been absent from the 2022 Met Gala, but her presence was undeniably felt.

The fashion legend didn't fail to shut down the prestigious fundraising gala in a unique way, making history as she's always known to do.

As you might know, Riri was absent from the star-studded Met Gala to prepare for the delivery of her bundle of joy. While her head-turning fashion sense was surely going to be missed, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in collaboration with Vogue Magazine, chose to honor her uniquely.

On the night of the big event, the "Rude Boy" singer took to Instagram to unveil the breathtaking statue mounted in the Metropolitan Museum of Art to pay tribute to her.

The towering figurine was mounted tall and proud in the center with other notable statues surrounding it, embodying the spectacle that Rihanna usually is.

The statue was made to the tiniest detail with Riri's burgeoning baby on display and her hair graciously swept back with her hands placed behind her back. All her stunning facial features were beautifully captured in the sculpture.

A thrilled Rihanna captioned the 27-second clip that unveiled the statue, writing, "shut down the met in marble! what’s more gilded than that? Lol! Thank you, @metmuseum and @voguemagazine, for this historic tribute! y’all bad for this one!"

According to Vogue, the statue was made straight off Rihanna's headline-making May 2022 issue cover, where she stunned in an orange lacy bodysuit, glove, and shoes by designer Alaïa.

Riri's statue undoubtedly makes history as it over throned The statue of “Eirene (The Personification of Peace)” to become the highest-profile marble goddess in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Greco-Roman galleries.

Fans were blown away by the tribute and camped in the comment section to praise the "Home" star for being a legend. One fan wrote, "Could be the most famous pregnant lady of all time..." Another added, "Wasn’t even in attendance & still made an impact! This is so cool."

This comment read, "that Rihanna reign just won’t let up," while this netizen wrote, "The Real Queen of Met Gala!"

In September, the 34-year-old made her last appearance at the 2021 Met Gala, walking alongside boyfriend A$AP Rocky in an Haute duvet ensemble from Balenciaga. As expected, Riri froze time with her looks, but it was just one among the numerous loud fashion statements she makes on the red carpet.

Since making her Met Gala debut in 2007, some of the award-winning singer's headline-making outfits include; her 2018  John Galliano saintly Maison Margiela mitre and minidress — embellished with precious stones and pearls — as well as her pizza-inspired yellow gown from Guo Pei which took two years to make. 

We can forget Rihanna winning the 2017 Rei Kawakuba avant-garde theme in a sculptural 3D floral dress from the Japanese designer's Comme des Garçons Fall 2016 Runway look.

In 2014, the soon-to-be mother stepped on necks in a gorgeous white Stella McCartney two-piece that featured a cropped long-sleeved top that flaunted her breast tattoo paired with a flowing long skirt.

Rihanna's Met Gala tribute comes four days after celebrating her first National Heroes Day as a National Hero of Barbados. As The Blast reported, the singer took fans back down memory lane to when she was first given the title in 2021.

She uploaded a carousel of photos from the prestigious ceremony where she received the Barbados Medal of Honor. Riri gushed about the privilege of being given such a title in the accompanying caption.

"What an absolute honor to be amongst such great men and women who have come before me and held this title in commitment to our nation," she wrote.

The "Ocean's 8" actress then made a promise to her people, writing, "I will forever cherish these memories and continue to represent the Bajan people and my home Barbados to the fullest!!"

She continued, "Love and gratitude to both The Prime Minister, The Honorable Mia Amor Mottley, and our President, Her Excellency The Most Honorable Dame Sandra Mason for trusting me with this honor."

The Barbados Medal of Honor bestowed upon Rihanna the official title of The Right Honourable Robyn Rihanna Fenty.