Rihanna reminds us she can’t vote, but we can and should!
Rihanna, ever the unapologetic online presence, has a timely reminder: She can’t vote.
As many may recall, the 36-year-old pop music icon and mother of two is originally from Barbados, where she has retained her citizenship. But while she may not be a U.S. citizen, she is deeply invested in this year’s election.
Rihanna reminded the world of her status in a facetious Instagram post that included a video of her peering out of a car window with the text “POV: me trying to sneak into the polls with my son’s passport.”
“When protecting p—sies and firing p—sies can happen all in one vote,” she wrote in the post’s caption, adding, “#votecauseicant #TanSuitSeason.”
Based on those not-so-subtle hashtags — in particular, the mention of a certain suit color — one can only assume where Rihanna’s allegiance lies in this election.
Unsurprisingly, her post has attracted detractors of the MAGA variety. Not everyone in the comments found her joke poking fun at election fraud funny — and perhaps because she’s not busy trying to make it to the polls, Rihanna certainly had the time this morning.
“That attitude is why we want to make America [great] again. You want to cheat to win. So disappointing,” one person wrote.
To which Rihanna responded, “Lol! When yall stop burning ballot boxes come check me.”
Another wrote, “Illegal voting is a crime. Maybe she should be arrested for trying.”
The “Work” singer replied, “Shut up Karen.”
Yet another user wrote: “I voted for closed borders, deportations, and staying out of foreign conflicts. Abortions are probably nowhere near as important as y’all are making it seem.”
Rih replied, “You’re f—! And so is the America you dream of. Hope you don’t have to find out the hard way.”
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This is far from the first time the Fenty Beauty founder has weighed in on politics. During the 2016 election, despite not being eligible to vote, she wore an oversized T-shirt bearing Hillary Clinton’s face. Later, Rihanna made headlines wearing a more meta t-shirt that featured an image of herself wearing her Clinton swag with the words, “I’m with her—and her” on it. Four years later, Clinton was still ruminating on the show of support.
When Donald Trump lost in 2020, Rihanna tweeted a photo of herself holding two trash bags with the caption, “just here to help,” and the hashtag “#wediditjoe,” referencing the famous Harris-Biden phone call turned meme.
Earlier this year, the singer confirmed her citizenship status in a profile with Interview magazine.
“Barbados will always be home. One hundred percent. I’m still a citizen after all these years,” she told the outlet.
Rihanna’s Election Day PSA also serves as a reminder of the fact that many who live, work, and pay taxes in this country do not have the ability to vote in this election. Some are barred from voting because of criminal backgrounds or incarceration status. Meanwhile, others simply live in certain U.S. territories. So when the star says “votebecauseicant,” it’s a reminder that not only immigrants like her will be stuck with the consequences of this election despite not having any control over it.
Rihanna may also feel motivated to speak up because this is the country where she’s chosen to start her family. Like many American-born children, the two sons she shares with rapper A$AP Rocky will undoubtedly inherit whatever political climate emerges.
However, on the upside, should things not pan out how she hopes, Rihanna, at the very least, has a place she can escape to!
Correction: Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 8:25 a.m., E.T.: An earlier version of this article indicated that Washington D.C./District of Columbia residents are not allowed to vote in presidential elections. This is incorrect, and the article has been amended to reflect this.