Rihanna Shuts Down Matt Barnes on Instagram
Go on and take a bow, Matt Barnes. You put on quite a show.
According to TMZ (and “sources connected to” Barnes), the Grizzlies’ forward was recently spotted hanging out with Rihanna on a couple of dates. No one really knows if the two are actually an item – TMZ, everyone! – but that didn’t stop Barnes’ soon-to-be ex-wife, Gloria Govan, from sounding off about it, saying she’s “pro-happiness” and adding that she definitely wouldn’t turn down some free concert tickets from Barnes’ new boo.
On Sunday, we made some progress, when TMZ caught up with Barnes at a celebrity softball game, stuck a camera in his face and asked him questions about the alleged relationship. While he mostly played it coy, Barnes did say there may be a future with the pop star (strangely, he also called the rumors “speculation”) and added that he isn’t worried about them being thousands of miles apart next season – he was acquired by Memphis on June 25 – because “she’s rich.”
“Rihanna’s my friend right now, so we’ll see where it goes,” Barnes said. “I think it just passed the crush stage a little bit. Just a little bit, though.”
The problem: Apparently, Barnes was lying. At least that’s what Rihanna’s saying.
It didn’t take long for Rihanna to catch wind of Barnes’ reveal, and she responded by calling him out in front of her 24.5 million followers on Instagram with hashtags like “#thedevilisaliar” and “#defamationofcharacter.” She even claimed the two have never met, which isn’t a great look for Barnes.
Barnes allegedly wrote “Hahaaa wow” on Rihanna’s Instagram post, so who knows what’s really happening between the two. Either way, whether or not there was a relationship brewing, it looks like Barnes is no longer da one for Rihanna.