Entertainment- Rihanna's stylist said she hid her pregnancy from him until three weeks before the Super Bowl.
- Jahleel Weaver told Vogue in a new interview that he thought the singer's revelation was a joke.
Millions of people learned that Rihanna is pregnant with her second child during her performance at the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday.
It turns out the singer also kept the secret from those who worked closely with her on the performance — including her stylist Jahleel Weaver.
Weaver, who has worked with Rihanna since 2011, told Vogue in an interview published Tuesday that she didn't share the news about her pregnancy until three weeks before the game. The fashion expert said he couldn't believe the revelation.
"She finally told me when we were reviewing sketches, and I was like, 'Is this a joke?'" he said.
The outlet reports that Weaver started preparing for the halftime show in December. He noted that even though the plan for her layered, all-red look didn't change much, he had to keep the secret from the designers at Loewe and Alaïa, requesting that they leave extra room in the outfit "just in case."
When it came time for alterations, Weaver said Rihanna needed more frequent fittings because her body was changing so rapidly.
"In a week, she grows. So her body would be completely different from the week before. We were constantly having to adjust based on the growth of her body," he said. "We landed on this idea of how to show the body, but also have the flexibility for movement."
An ensemble made to withstand flexibility and movement also meant Rihanna needed comfortable shoes. Although Weaver said he "will fight 'till the end for a heel," the "Work" singer ended up wearing a pair of Salomon hiking sneakers onstage.
Prior to the performance, Weaver said he and Rihanna were unsure if she would hide or display her bump, and that she decided to do it at the last minute. He told Vogue he became emotional when he saw her hit the stage.
"She has no fear. It's really cool that she is always willing to do what looks cool and new," he said. "She doesn't dumb it down for anyone.
He also shared that his hard work caught up with him once the show was over.
"We celebrated for a bit, but honestly, I actually fell asleep in the venue!" Weaver said.
It seems some of Rihanna's backup dancers also didn't know she was expecting. Luhnyae Campbell, a barista who said she danced during the show, shared in a TikTok Monday that Rihanna wore oversized clothes to rehearsals, according to Insider's Mara Leighton.
@luhnyae Replying to @koochiepotpie tried to answer most of the main questions with this one! And did we get paid? YESSS AHH #rihannahalftimeshow #fyp ♬ original sound - Luhnyae
Campbell also said that Rihanna's principal dancers who show up for "every tour, every event," may have had an idea about the pregnancy, but that there were too many dancers to meet the mogul one-on-one.
"I was low-key mad at everybody because I was like, 'This is just her postpartum body, why are you judging her?'" she said. "But no, she's actually pregnant. I forgot that women can just do that back-to-back — we're so amazing, that's crazy."