Rihanna is the latest celebrity whose name has allegedly surfaced in the newly released batch of federal documents connected to Jeffrey Epstein — and as usual, the internet is already running wild with speculation.
The rumours of Rihanna and Epstein’s alleged friendship started after a screenshot from what looks like Epstein’s phone calls circulated online. One of the callers’ names is listed as Rihanna. Even though the name is not very common, there is no proof that Rihanna, the singer, was the one who called Epstein.
The unfounded claims were made much worse by the nickname ‘sneaky dog’, which was reportedly Epstein’s nickname. An email sent to Epstein in 2013 mentioned his rumoured nickname and an expression of gratitude for being invited to an event. The email sender’s name is blurred for privacy reasons, so there is also no proof that it came from Rihanna.
Upon closer inspection, the file labelled as EFTA00642711 also had no direct links to Rihanna. However, on X, users have been tying the email to the singer. ‘Morning sneaky dog, thank you very much for dinner last night! It was a great idea. We had a very good time with Karyna’s parents,’ the email read. However, there is once again no proof that Rihanna was the one who sent the email to Epstein. Since the email was sent in 2014, it is important to note that Rihanna had a very busy schedule during this time. She attended several fashion shows and was even rumoured to be dating Drake.
An X user also debunked the claims saying that the screenshot of Epstein’s alleged phone calls came from a third party who had contacts with Epstein and who also knew a woman named Rihanna. Fans also couldn’t help but express their frustration over the rumours linking Rihanna to Epstein.
‘I’m crying at the strings they’re trying to pull. It’s basically like if Rihanna called Bruno Mars and Bruno Mars so happened to know Epstein… like what is this “evidence”,’ one person wrote. ‘And let’s not forget how some of these documents are not credible as mentioned in the DOJ website. The only reason that log is up is because of the name Sneaky Dog,’ another person wrote.
Whilst there is no proof that Rihanna had ties to Epstein, one of her fellow big names in the music industry has been dragged into the mud. Jay-Z’s name appeared in the newly released Epstein files, together with the infamous Harvey Weinstein. However, it is important to note that these files have not been verified.
On Facebook, a user alleged that Rihanna unfollowed Jay-Z after learning about his friendship with Epstein. Upon checking, Rihanna is indeed not following Jay-Z on Instagram. However, it is possible that she never followed him in the first place.