The numerous public sightings. The pictures of the couple together, kicking back in private, posted to an Instagram account. And, of course, the defiant track “Nobody’s Business,” ironically one of the best on her aptly titled 2012 album, “Unapologetic.”
No one wanted to believe that Rihanna and Chris Brown were back together when the signs appeared late last year. But in a revealing interview with Rolling Stone back in February, she finally came clean and admitted that she had returned to the man who assaulted her to the point of being unrecognizable the night before the 2009 Grammy Awards.
“I just couldn’t bury the way I felt,” explained the Barbados-born starlet, before adding that even her best friend from childhood wasn’t allowed to challenge the decision. “Nobody else is going through it. Nobody would understand.”
That may be so, but Rihanna’s shocking about-face has been met with widespread backlash. Her appearance on the cover of November’s Vogue was one of the worst-selling of the year, and her one-time bestie Katy Perry is rumored to have severed ties with her over the Brown reconciliation. In February, a crazed London fan showed his displeasure by throwing a bottle at her, slightly injuring her knee.
Her renewed relationship seems to have affected her popularity with the rank-and-file fan base. Event DJ Jay Thakrar has recently noticed a trend of clients specifically requesting that Rihanna not be played at their functions.
“I’ve had two clients give me those instructions very recently,” says the DJ, who spins at weddings and other parties in New York and other cities. “Her personal life and the decisions she’s making are truly affecting how people view her music. One bride actually said some early Chris Brown was OK. But she was definite on having no Rihanna.”
The star’s choice of beau isn’t the only thing that’s agitating people.
Just last week, she sparked controversy when she Instagrammed a picture of a toddler with the caption, “My little n - - - a.” Fans were not amused, and tweeted at her to stop using the N-word.
It’s an open secret that she regularly tokes up, but the posting of a bud of cannabis was a little too blunt for some of her followers.
Her constant tardiness has become another huge source of irritation. This was evident on the notorious 777 Tour, which saw Rihanna, a gaggle of journalists and a small group of fans jet around the world for seven nights, playing seven different cities in the run up to Thanksgiving. The epic voyage became an epic bore for many on the plane, as she slowed down the entire trip by turning up to everything late, including the shows.
Rosie Rivera, a 32-year-old competition winner traveling on the 777 Tour, remembers having to sneak her way into a VIP section in Stockholm before actually getting to meet the singer.
“She served us drinks, she talked to us, and she was very sweet, personable and hospitable,” Rivera tells The Post from her home in San Mateo, Calif. “But no one else got that experience except for us. The tour was organized chaos. At the time, I was pissed. I was like, ‘This is a bunch of bulls - - t!’ ”
Another inexcusable delay occurred just last month, when RiRi was scheduled to make an in-person appearance at Barrington High School in a suburb of Chicago, Ill. The school had won a competition (sponsored by Rihanna) by creating a video set to the song “Diamonds” showing the charitable work of students in the community. About 2,500 people gathered in the school’s gymnasium on the first day of spring break, but the singer arrived more than four hours later than the originally planned start time — and stayed for a mere 15 minutes. William Iacullo, a 15-year-old student at the school, was one of the few who actually got to meet Rihanna personally. While he also found her charming in person, he admits that it was much ado about very little for most at the school. “For the rest of the people who only saw her onstage, I don’t think it was worth it,” he says.
“We all thought she would sing maybe or stay for an hour. I think she definitely should have made more effort. It was for a good cause, after all.”
So far, the Rihanna backlash hasn’t hurt her bank account. Her Diamonds World Tour, which comes to the Barclays Center next Saturday and Sunday, is solidly booked. And last week, she became the first artist in Billboard history to have 10 No. 1 songs, after “Stay” took the top spot.
But pop stardom is a fickle thing, and patience already runs paper-thin among fans.
“I went to see her in San Jose recently, and I didn’t even get to the venue until 10 p.m. because I knew she was gonna be late,” says Rivera. “I know what to expect, but some people are not going to appreciate that.”