Source Close to Giovanna Battaglia Clears The Air Following A$AP Rocky & Rihanna Debacle

BY Alexander Cole
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The 2026 Met Gala Celebrating "Costume Art" - Arrivals
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 04: (L-R) Rihanna and A$AP Rocky attend the 2026 Met Gala celebrating "Costume Art" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 04, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by John Shearer/WireImage)
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After a video went viral of Rihanna and A$AP Rocky seemingly arguing at the Met Gala, some fans pointed the finger at Giovanna Battaglia.

A video of A$AP Rocky and Rihanna following the Met Gala has been going viral online as of late. In the video, the two can be seen inside some sort of van, having what appears to be an argument. The two didn't appear to be happy with one another, and this set off a chain reaction of speculation throughout social media.

Stan accounts began sifting through hours of video footage just to find something that could explain what happened between the two. One of these accounts found a video of A$AP Rocky laughing it up with a woman in the background of a Rihanna interview. The implication was that Rihanna was upset with Rocky for potentially "flirting" with other women. This was then picked up by TMZ, who amplified the post.

The woman in the video was subsequently identified as Giovanna Battaglia Engelbert. She is a prominent businesswoman in the fashion industry and a former model. While she had attended the Met Gala with singer EJAE, users online couldn't help but craft a narrative in their head.

Giovanna Battaglia's Rep Reveals The Truth

According to an update from TMZ, a source close to the situation is completely exonerating Rocky and Battaglia Engelbert from any wrongdoing. The source revealed that Battaglia had actually started talking to Rihanna first. It just so happens that the two have known each other for a long time. Furthermore, Battaglia has "a lot of respect" for the singer.

Ultimately, this is just yet another case of the internet turning something into a bigger event than it actually is. Living life in the public eye must be extremely difficult, especially when these kinds of things consistently happen.

The Met Gala is the perfect place for this kind of stuff to materialize. There are cameras and paparazzi everywhere. Social media is glued to their screens, and when people are bored, they will find things to talk about.

About The Author
Alexander Cole is the current editor-in-chief of HotNewHipHop. He started at HotNewHipHop back in 2018 where he began as a Sports and Sneakers writer. It was here where he began to hone his craft, putting his journalism degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, to good use. Since that time, he has documented some of the biggest stories in the hip-hop world. From the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef to the disturbing allegations against Diddy, Alex has helped HotNewHipHop navigate large-scale stories as they happen. In 2021, he went to the Bahamas for the Big 3's Championship Game. It was here where he got to interview legendary figures like Ice Cube, Clyde Drexler, and Stephen Jackson. He has also interviewed other superstar athletes such as Antonio Brown, Damian Lillard, and Paul Pierce. This is in addition to conversations with social media provocateurs like Jake Paul, and younger respected artists like Kaycyy, Lil Tecca, and Jeleel!

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