Vault: Rihanna Interview

Summary

The Bert Show: Vault – Rihanna Interview

Episode Date: May 20, 2026
Main Theme:
A candid, emotionally resonant conversation with Rihanna, focused on her personal recovery and growth following her public experience with domestic abuse, the impact of her 20/20 interview, her inspiration to others, moving forward in life and music, and how she’s finding new peace.

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Episode Overview

This archived interview finds the Bert Show team speaking directly and honestly with Rihanna, just after her now-famous tell-all with Diane Sawyer and while she’s poised to launch her new album "Rated R." The conversation touches on healing after trauma, responsibility as a public figure, addressing the unauthorized leak of police photos, moving on from a painful relationship, the evolution of her artistry, her dating life, and moments of lighthearted banter. Rihanna’s tone throughout is open, upbeat, and refreshingly real.

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Key Discussions and Insights

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1. Rihanna’s Emotional State After the Diane Sawyer Interview

• Initial Impressions

  • The hosts expected a tense interview but were surprised at how "light, happy" Rihanna seemed, "like she just got to put it all out there and let go of it." (01:52-02:31)

• Rihanna on Performing Again

  • She describes the relief and joy of her first public performance post-interview:
    • "It felt so good... the energy in the room was amazing... I was able to do what I love doing again and at the same time reach all my fans." (03:38)

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2. Processing & Sharing Her Experience

• Sense of Escape and Comfort on Stage

  • Rihanna sees the stage as her sanctuary:
    • "When you're on stage, when it's all about the music, there's nothing better... you are connecting to these people through one thing. And it's music, the thing that you both love." (04:13)

• Relief After Publicly Telling Her Story

  • Rihanna reflects on post-interview emotions:
    • "I smiled. I smiled myself to sleep. It was the best feeling... I just felt so good that not only did I get that off my chest, but that now all these little girls and young women can hear my story...” (04:40)

• On Facing Backlash

  • She asserts, "I wasn’t concerned... I knew that I did the right thing... I’m saving lives, so say what you want." (05:14)

• Receiving Messages from Survivors

  • Rihanna recounts being moved by thousands of letters from young women:
    • "DoSomething.org... in two days, they got 1,500 letters... A lot of them have been through domestic violence themselves, and these are teenage girls... it let me know that I did the right thing." (06:12)

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3. Rihanna’s Reflections on Privacy, Safety, and Trust

• On the LAPD Photo Leak

  • Rihanna describes the betrayal of having police evidence sold to tabloids:
    • “They were definitely trying to exploit me... It was just malicious. And very, very... it made me feel very unsafe in the LAPD department because it was a confidential case... the most disappointing part for me.” (07:37)

• Feelings of Safety and Moving On

  • On regaining a sense of security:
    • “I feel very safe, very secure... I feel very comfortable in my skin... I’ve moved on from that part of my life.” (08:36)

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4. Personal Healing and Lingering Feelings

• Regarding Chris Brown

  • Rihanna openly acknowledges complex emotions:
    • Q: "Do you still miss Chris?"
      A: "Sometimes, actually, yes... There are a lot of reminders... a lot of places that we've been to together, music... I'm sure you know what that feels like." (09:04)
    • She admits she still listens to Chris Brown’s music if it comes on the radio: "I just listen, you know. I like his music." (09:25)

• Enduring Public Attention

  • On constant reminders in the media:
    • "At first, it made it really difficult. Now I just... I figured it out because I had to." (10:15)

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5. Turning the Page: Music and the Future

• "Rated R" Album as a New Chapter

  • Rihanna describes the album’s release as a profound personal turning point:
    • “It was the end of an amazing year... the biggest performance of my life... now I’m living a whole new life, and it’s amazing.” (10:32)

• Musical Evolution and Surprising Fans

  • "We always surprise people with our new sound. We always come ahead of the game because we don't want to do the same thing... we always try to move on and do the next cool thing." (11:13)

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6. Rumors, Dating, and Keeping It Real

• On Tristan Wildes Dating Rumors

  • Asked about the 90210 actor, Rihanna laughs:
    • "I don't even have his number."
    • She shares a light story about him showing up at a house party but emphasizes it's just gossip. (11:39)

• Currently Not Interested in Commitment

  • "I'm a very flirty girl, though. I don't think I have a lot of time for a commitment right now or the energy. A relationship really is another life. It's another career, really." (12:13)

• Jay Z as Relationship Gatekeeper?

  • On whether future suitors need Jay Z’s approval:
    • "They probably would love to be my editor when it comes to my guys." (12:34)

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7. Notable Quotes & Lighthearted Moments

• On Purpose and Impact:

  • "Because it just reminds you that you're here for a purpose. You know, it's much bigger than you." (07:11)

• Closing Banter:

  • Rihanna jokes with the host about his voice resembling Doug from The Hangover:
    • Rihanna: "You know Doug, the groom? Yeah, you sound like him." (13:00)
    • Host: “I kind of look a little bit. Honestly, I do look a little bit like that too.”
    • Rihanna: “You’re a cuter version.” (13:09)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:38] – Rihanna describes emotional return to performing after the Diane Sawyer interview
• [04:40] – “I smiled myself to sleep” – on relief after her public statement
• [06:12] – Feedback from young women and impact letters
• [07:37] – Discussion of police photo leak and feelings of betrayal
• [09:04] – Candidly addressing if she misses Chris Brown
• [10:32] – New album and turning a new page in life
• [11:39] – Addressing Tristan Wildes rumors
• [12:13] – Thoughts on relationships and being single
• [13:00] – Playful Doug (The Hangover) banter

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Takeaways

• Rihanna displays remarkable candor and confidence; she’s fully owning her narrative, intent on helping others, and making it clear she’s moving forward.
• The conversation powerfully highlights the role of public figures in influencing and inspiring survivors of abuse, while also exposing the pain of betrayal by trusted institutions.
• With “Rated R,” Rihanna signals artistic and personal rebirth, making this episode both a celebration of survival and a preview of what’s next from a reinvigorated superstar.

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Transcript

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[Interviewer]

The Bird show look you're gonna hear in Rihanna here at least. We were really surprised if you watch that Diane Sawyer interview a couple of weeks ago. It's a pretty serious Rihanna and some pretty serious things have happened to her over the last couple of months. So when we started this interview yesterday, I was shocked just by how happy she seemed just from the initial. Yes.

[Co-Interviewer]

I think you even asked her about the 2020 interview. Did like it sort of like released all of it. And she does seem like a lighter, happier person since that interview. Like she just got to put it all out there and let go of it.

[Interviewer]

You know, I had seen some reports earlier in the week that said that she didn't want to be the model for domestic abuse, so. And I also saw that she said, you know what? I want to move on from that part of my life. So I thought maybe when we started this thing, that this was going to be difficult because we want to talk to her about something she doesn't want to talk about. Again, I was wrong. She jumps right in.

[Co-Interviewer 2]

But I think moving, I mean, she. I think defines what moving on is about. Because when you've really moved on from something, you don't have a problem talking about it.

[Rihanna]

You know what I mean?

[Co-Interviewer 2]

And you can really tell in her tone that I think she truly has moved on.

[Interviewer]

You know, she's painted herself into a tight corner here with Chris Brown because Jen asks her a straight up question, you know, you still kind of hooked on this guy? And she says yes. And I was thinking as she said it, and I wish I would have said something, that she can't go back to the dude because her platform has been, I can't allow my younger fans to know that that kind of abuse is acceptable and you can go back to it. So she said that. So I'm not really how she can go back, but this is Rihanna yesterday, and I was completely surprised by her honesty and her candor. And this is Rihanna.

[Rihanna]

Hello.

[Interviewer]

Hi, Rihanna. You're on in Atlanta. How are you doing?

[Rihanna]

I'm great, actually.

[Interviewer]

Good. Yeah, I was. You know, I was. Before I came in here, I was just watching the. The video of you on stage. I think it was the first public performance after the Diane Sawyer interview when you were on stage with Jay Z. And the only thing I could think of while I was watching it is when you first got on stage. It must have been a tremendous relief to finally be performing again.

[Rihanna]

It felt so good, the whole performance. Even when we were finished, it. It felt really, really good. Like, the energy in the room was amazing. Plus, my band, I just love performing with my band. And I was able to do what I love doing again and at the same time reach all my fans all over the world. Because it was live. It was a live stream worldwide.

[Interviewer]

Is that the place that you feel most comfort? Like, is that almost an escape for you? When you're on stage, everything in the personal life is out the window. Here you are on stage in front of all of these people, and everything else just doesn't matter.

[Rihanna]

Yeah. When you're on stage, when it's all about the music, there's nothing better than that feeling, knowing that you are connecting to these people through one thing. And it's music, the thing that you both love.

[Interviewer]

It must have been sort of an emotional rollercoaster, because you get off of the set of doing Diane Sawyer and then you're on stage. When you left the set with Diane and the interview, did you feel good about what was said? Were you nervous about what was said?

[Rihanna]

I smiled. I smiled myself to sleep. It was the best feeling. It was the best, best feeling. I drank some red wine and I just smiled myself to sleep. I just felt so good that not only did I get that off my chest, but that now all these little girls and young women can hear my story, and it can hopefully have a positive impact on them.

[Interviewer]

Were you nervous at all when you walked out of that interview that there was going to be so much backlash that maybe you shouldn't have been as revealing as you were?

[Rihanna]

No, because I knew that I did the right thing. You know, I expected people to come back and say dumb stuff and make up crazy stories. I expected that. But I wasn't worried about that. I wasn't concerned with that because I'm saving lives, so say what you want.

[Interviewer]

What was your biggest concern then?

[Rihanna]

Pardon me?

[Interviewer]

You said you weren't concerned with the backlash. Then. What was your biggest concern?

[Rihanna]

I wasn't concerned at all, really. I was really nervous going into the interview, like, just because it was my first time talking about it to anyone. So there were those nerves. But after I started talking to her, I just. I got really comfortable and I was just honest from there on.

[Interviewer]

Have you started now to hear some of the stories from women that you might have helped through that interview?

[Rihanna]

Absolutely. Actually, DoSomething.org I have to shout out to them because they were really helpful. They sent out a message on their website encouraging young women who watched the 2020 interview to write in and let me know how it affected them. And in two days, they got 1500 letters from 1500 girls, and. And they put it all in one book for me to read, and it's really heartbreaking. A lot of them have been through domestic violence themselves, and these are teenage girls. So that was very, very impactful for me and really heartbreaking. But it let me know that I did the right thing.

[Interviewer]

Well, we can tell you one story here in Atlanta. You probably saved the life of one of our listeners here.

[Co-Interviewer]

Yeah, one of our listeners, Linda, actually called us after we ran some of the clips from your interview and said she had been in an abusive relationship. But after hearing you, that was the day she decided. And we contacted a local organization and she got Out. She moved out the next day.

[Rihanna]

That's amazing. That is so amazing. I love to hear stuff like that because it just reminds you that you're here for a purpose. You know, it's much bigger than you.

[Co-Interviewer 2]

Well, now, I wanted to ask a question along those lines. You said that you're, you know, happy to have young fans hear your story. And I'm curious now, looking back, the police department that leaked those photos, do you think they were trying to exploit you, or do you think they were trying to save you?

[Rihanna]

They were definitely trying to exploit me. Only because they sold it. If they were trying to save me, they would put it out, but they sold it, so clearly it was out of. It was just militia. And very, very. It made me feel very unsafe in the LAPD department because it was a confidential case. Domestic violence in California is supposed to be completely confidential, and I signed a confidentiality agreement. So when they went against that and when I found out that it was that they were women, that was the most disappointing part for me.

[Interviewer]

Is this unsafe word kind of a theme that you seem to be going that is sort of going through your life right now. Obviously, in your relationship with Chris, and now here, you can't even turn to the police. Do you feel safe anywhere anymore?

[Rihanna]

Yeah, I feel. I feel very safe, very secure. But, I mean, just, you know, if you can't trust the cops, then who can you trust? That kind of thing, you know, it just made me feel like, wow, it was disappointing. But, I mean, I've moved on from that part of my life, and I feel very comfortable in my skin. I feel very comfortable with who I am and how I live my life now.

[Co-Interviewer]

From watching your interviews and listening to your music, I wonder, do you still miss Chris

[Rihanna]

Sometimes? Actually, yes. There are a lot of reminders, like a lot of hotel rooms, a lot of places that we've been to together music. There are different things that come up that just are reminders of your ex. I'm sure you know what that feels like.

[Co-Interviewer]

Oh, of course. Can you still listen to his music

[Rihanna]

when it comes on. On the radio? I don't. I don't snob or turn it off. I just listen, you know, I like his music.

[Interviewer]

Is it like a breakup with anybody? Like, when you're listening to the radio, there are songs that just always seem to remind you of that person, and it's just hard to get over.

[Rihanna]

Yeah, Yeah. I mean, I've gotten over it, but they're definitely constant reminders. And a lot of those, you know, a lot of it is. Is listening to the radio and songs coming on. Songs that were our favorite songs, are his songs. Mm.

[Interviewer]

It must be extremely hard for you to try to escape it at all. I mean, it's in the tabloids. It's on tv. You can't turn the TV on. You can't pick up a magazine. It's in your face all the time.

[Rihanna]

Yeah, but now I'm used to it. At first, it made it really difficult. Now I just. I figured it out because I had to. I had to figure it out.

[Interviewer]

So you're past all that now, and now you got the excitement of a new album coming out. And it must feel like a page kind of turning now.

[Rihanna]

Yeah. The whole. This whole journey since the Grammys, it was kind of like I had. It was the end of an amazing year. The night before, the biggest performance of my life. And then I was two weeks before turning 21, so it kind of was a new chapter, and I just turned that page. Now I'm living a whole new life, and it's amazing. It feels great. And rated R is coming out now, and it just feels like finally I get to move on from that and express to the world how I feel.

[Interviewer]

And are people gonna be surprised by the new sound of Rihanna because it's very different than Ponte Replay?

[Rihanna]

Yes, definitely. But that's. We always do that. We always surprise people with our new sound. We always come ahead of the game because we don't want to do the same thing. We don't want to repeat ourselves. So we always try to move on and do the next cool thing.

[Co-Interviewer]

So there's a new album, and we've also heard about this new love interest. Is there any truth to the stories about Tristan Wilde from 90210?

[Rihanna]

I don't even have his number.

[Co-Interviewer]

Would you like to get his name?

[Rihanna]

I had a house party. This is funny. I had a house party. And you know how you hold house parties and people just come over that you don't even know? He came. He came by, which was fun for me. I appreciated the company, and he brought a bunch of friends, and everybody was hanging out, whatever. But I don't even have his number, so I don't. I don't know how I can be dating him.

[Interviewer]

Are you even open to dating guys right now?

[Rihanna]

No. I'm a very flirty girl, though. I don't think I have a lot of time for a commitment right now or the energy. A relationship really is another life. It's another career, really.

[Co-Interviewer]

Will the next guy you date have to go through Jay Z first.

[Rihanna]

They probably would love to be my editor when it comes to my guys.

[Interviewer]

Rihanna, you really sound great. I mean, you really sound like at peace. You sound like you're in such a great place. What a journey you've been on. Congratulations.

[Rihanna]

Thank you so much. I have to say something, and this is not an insult in any way, but have you guys seen the hangover? I'm sure you have.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Rihanna]

You know Doug, the groom? Yeah, you sound like him.

[Interviewer]

I kind of look a little bit. Honestly, I do look a little bit like that too.

[Rihanna]

If you close your eyes,

[Interviewer]

you'd be surprised. I'll send you a picture, but I'm a worse looking version of that guy.

[Rihanna]

You're a cuter version. To Doug.

[Interviewer]

Yes.

[Rihanna]

Awesome.

[Interviewer]

Hey, Rihanna, good luck with everything. Thanks a lot.

[Rihanna]

Thank you.

[Interviewer]

I will talk to you soon. Bye. Bye.

[Rihanna]

Bye.

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