Big media news has been released from one of the most influential celebrity couples, leaving millions of people more jealous than a sibling on Christmas. On February 6th, Rihanna, musician and model, shared photos showing her baby bump in Beverly Hills. Just a week prior, the pregnancy was announced in a joint statement by herself and A$AP Rocky, rapper and her 33-year-old boyfriend.

This event, and related photographs, are significant in that they both progress normalizing public pregnancies and having children out of wedlock, as Rihanna and Rocky are unmarried. The sheer level of publicity that the couple allowed for in Rihanna’s pregnancy news exemplifies their level of intimacy and strength, while being world-class or “household name” celebrities. Rihanna and Rocky have proven to the world that celebrity couples can have genuine connection, one that surpasses fame and social status. Along with this, the great public exposure of Rihanna’s belly defined public social formalities for what standards are or aren’t acceptable for pregnant women. Rihanna has always tried to celebrate pregnant women, for example, in her runway shows and her historical acceptance of public pregnancies. This is clear in Rihanna’s obvious intent to show the viewing world how confident she is in herself, her body, and in her relationship.

Perhaps we, as students at Lake Forest Academy, should find a takeaway from this. At first glance, it is seemingly a meaningless piece of celebrity news. But, perhaps we, as young adults, should change the way we view both celebrity relationships and public pregnancies. Perhaps we should see Rihanna’s actions as a large step into the future of body positivity and the simple realities of pregnancy. Perhaps we should be more accepting of how pregnant women choose to carry themselves before, after, and during that nine-month period. Just as fashion is changing, any and all topics regarding body image will change. It is a shock to no one that we see Rihanna taking the lead on this.