Rihanna's Diamond Ball 2019 Interview Round-Up: Lizzo, Advocacy & More

All eyes were on Rihanna during the pop titan's annual Diamond Ball 2019 on Thursday (September 12), where she gathered a batch of A-listers to raise awareness for her Clara Lionel Foundation. In its fifth year, the event saw entertainment from host Seth Meyers and performances from Pharrell and DJ Khaled, with celebrity guests Cardi B, Normani, 2 Chainz, Meek Mill, Migos and more. Additionally, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, as well as civil rights activist Shaun King, received the 2019 Diamond Ball Award in recognition of their humanitarian and social justice work.

Prior to the event, Rih hit the red carpet to speak with reporters about the significance of the annual event, her wish-list of collaborators and so much more. Scroll on below to read some of her best interview bits!

On Her Aspirations To Help When She Was Young via AP

"It's always been important to me before any success, not the height, not the beginning. Way before that, as a kid, seeing the commercials with the kids in Africa, where it just takes 10 cents or 25 cents to help somebody. As a kid, I used to think when I grow up to be rich and I'm going to make a lot of money and could make a lot of 10 cents and a lot of 25 cents and if that's all it takes to help a kid survive, I wanted to do it even then. I didn't know that the opportunity would come to me at such a young age, an such an early age. At 18, I started working with other foundations and now this has become more personal because it's named after my grandparents, one of which I've lost to cancer, so these things get really personal, emotional. I just want to expand this every year to a difference cause because I don't like people deserve to be left out and that's really the core of the foundation."

Rihanna's 5th Annual Diamond Ball

On The Rumors That She'll Play Poison Ivy via ET

"[My Instagram post] has nothing to do with Poison Ivy. That has a lot to do with Batman. I have several obsessions. I have a bigger obsession with Poison Ivy. I'm just being honest. Yeah, I dyed my hair red because of Uma Thurman in the original. They didn't call me but if they did I would love to go in and try out because Poison Ivy is one of my obsessions in life. I did it for Halloween one year. I mean, come on."

Rihanna's 5th Annual Diamond Ball

On Her All-Female Collaborator Wish List via E! News

"There are a lot of people that want to collaborate with me, but there are also a lot of people that I want to collaborate with myself, so my waitlist is probably really long as well. Lizzo is at the top of my list. Gwen Stefani. I love Cardi B and, of course, a ton of guys, but those are the girls because I don't collaborate with girls very often, so I think at the top of my list right now are women."

Rihanna's 5th Annual Diamond Ball

On Her Fifth Annual Diamond Ball via E! News

"I do a lot of things that are of creative outlets of mine that I enjoy and love and that I am passionate about, but there's nothing more important than saving lives, helping lives and making lives better. This is the most important thing that I do in my life. Tonight's ball is just to highlight that and bring awareness to that, but tonight is not where the work begins or ends. It just is to bring people in."

Rihanna's 5th Annual Diamond Ball

On Being A Black Woman via Essence

"I'm a black woman. I come from a black woman, who came from a black woman, who came from a black woman and I'm going to give birth to a black woman. It's a no-brainer. That's who I am. That's the core of who I am in spirit and DNA. I'd always stand up for what I believe in and who I love and who I know, who I respect. My mother has raised me to be an incredible woman and she's a strong, incredible example of what to be and how to fight obstacles in life. I'm sure that her mom has also taught her and that's how I am going to be. We're impeccable. We are impeccable and special and the world is just going to have to deal with that."

Photo: Getty Images


Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content