Even when you’re a Grammy Award-winning singing star, going to the airport can still be a hassle.
Pop princess Rihanna fell into the clutches of the security “Umbrella” at Los Angeles International Airport yesterday and was ordered to undergo a random search like a simple commoner.
The “Disturbia” singer, who was heading off on a trip to New York to promote her new album, was taken to a none-too-private room where she was forced to remove her large, dark, hooded jacket and stand with her arms out.
Unfortunately for Rihanna, she was only wearing a T-backed tank top, which was so revealing it gave airport gawkers an eyeful of her body and the tattoo that runs down her back.
It also left the pop star shivering as a female guard patted her down with latex gloves and waved a metal-detecting wand over her body.
At one point, Rihanna looked dejected and gripped herself to ward off the draft of the airport air conditioning.
She looked noticeably unhappy, wearing a frown throughout the ordeal, which took only a few minutes.
She later made it to her plane and caught a flight to the Big Apple, where she was scheduled to perform at the Hammerstein Ballroom last night.
Ann Davis, a spokeswoman for the Transportation Security Administration, said Rihanna wasn’t on any wanted list and that she was simply the subject of a random search.
There were no records on the incident, which means that nothing untoward was found in the search, which the spokeswoman said was just like any of the others performed on random passengers at airports around the nation.
“This is a process that thousands of people go through at airports,” Davis said.
A spokesperson for Rihanna did not return repeated requests for comment.
In addition to her show at the Hammerstein, Rihanna’s trip to the Big Apple was also scheduled to include an appearance on “Saturday Night Live,” where she will perform as the musical guest.
Her new album, “Rated R,” debuted late last month.
The airport pat-down is a tough end to a tough year for the Barbados-born beauty.
In February, she was attacked by then-boyfriend Chris Brown as they drove in a car from a pre-Grammy Awards party in Los Angeles.
He eventually pleaded guilty to assault in the case.
Though Rihanna says she is over Brown, her ex may still be singing about her. Music insiders speculate that the song “Famous Girl” on his upcoming new album “Graffiti” makes references to her — and will drag her into a new controversy when it comes out.