RiRi’s Secret Love: 15 Facts About Rihanna’s Ultra-Private Relationship With Hassan Jameel

To say Rihanna is a total superstar is an understatement. I mean, the woman’s career just continues to reach new heights. She got her start as a teen pop star, putting out amazing hits with a little R&B and island flavor. Recently, she’s expanded her repertoire, moving into the film industry with roles in movies like the upcoming Ocean’s 8. And, while countless actresses have tried to put together beauty and clothing lines over the years —often to little success — Rihanna has managed to build an empire with Fenty Beauty. Even women who have no interest in Rihanna as a musician buy the products because, well, they’re amazing!

The only field Rihanna hasn’t excelled in is dating. Despite being a total catch, she’s certainly picked some stinkers over the years — men who totally weren’t worthy of her. Now, it seems, that just might be changing — for well over a year now, she’s had a secret, ultra-private relationship with a man that the world eventually found out was billionaire Hassan Jameel. Is he good enough for her? Well, only time will tell, but so far it seems that he totally gets what a catch he has and is treating her well.

Here are 15 facts about Rihanna’s ultra-private relationship with the mysterious Hassan Jameel.

15He’s A Billionaire Who Brings His Own Money To The Relationship

When a celebrity starts dating someone that no one really recognizes, most people assume that they just ended up finding love with a normal person outside the entertainment industry. While Jameel is outside the entertainment industry, he definitely won’t be struggling to keep up with Rihanna’s luxurious taste — because he’s a billionaire in his own right.

In fact, he’s probably the richest man she’s dated, including all the celebrities she’s been with, and that’s certainly saying something.

According to E! Online, Jameel is the deputy president and chairman of Abdul Latif Jameel, a family-owned conglomerate that exclusively owns Toyota distribution rights in Saudi Arabia. We have to admit, it’s probably a refreshing change of pace for RiRi to be with someone who has absolutely nothing to do with the entertainment industry. We can’t imagine she would have managed to keep her relationship private for so long if she was dating a fellow celebrity — the fact that Jameel was kind of an unknown for Hollywood definitely helped them keep things on the down low for a little longer than they otherwise would have been able to. And, she certainly doesn’t have to worry that he’s only with her for her money, since he has his own.

14She’s Never Brought Him As A Date To A Celebrity Event

There are some celebrities — often younger ones who are just entering that world, or perhaps recent divorcees who want to show off their new arm candy — who show off even the most recent relationships on the red carpet and at events. It doesn’t matter that they may already be broken up by the time the photos surface — it’s just a matter of flaunting how desirable they are. Rihanna is the absolute opposite in her relationship with Jameel. She’s used to being the center of attention wherever she goes, so she’s not trying to get even more paparazzi coverage by parading a mystery man on the red carpet.

So, believe it or not, even though they’ve been linked together for well over a year now, she’s never brought him as her date to a celebrity event. Honestly, we’re super curious as to whether that will change in the future — perhaps she wanted to see if it was really something serious and stable before she exposed him to that level of scrutiny. We’d love to see him by her side at a few events because he seems to genuinely make her super happy and light her up, and she totally deserves that!

13They’ve Been Spotted Jetsetting Together Frequently

Okay, we have to hand it to these two — they’ve officially come up with the most incredibly extra way to avoid getting caught by the paparazzi in Los Angeles that we could have dreamed of. Rather than heading out to dinner at L.A.s’ biggest hot spots, like many celebrities do, they head to the airport and hop on a plane to travel somewhere together.

So far, they’ve been spotted in Spain, London, and Boston, and we can only imagine that there are a lot of destinations on their list that they still want to hit.

I mean, when you have plenty of cash to spend on plane tickets and vacations, why not?

This definitely seems like a majorly epic courtship. And, it’s obviously working for them — while a few pictures have been captured while they’re traveling, it’s not nearly as many as would have been taken if they were in Hollywood, land of the paparazzi. These are two smart cookies. And, let’s be honest — it’s not exactly a hardship to check out amazing destinations together. In fact, more celebrities who want to maintain a bit of privacy should try this tactic — you get some private time with your new boo, and you get to see an exciting new city. It’s a win-win!

12They’ve Already Started Talking Marriage — And Many Are Speculating About A Ring She’s Rocking

To be honest, before she started dating Hassan Jameel, we kind of imagined that Rihanna would just never get married. And it’s certainly not because she’s not a catch — she just seems like such a strong, independent, amazing woman that we kind of couldn’t imagine the type of man who could handle all that strength on a daily basis! Well, until Hassan Jameel walked into her life, that is.

Hollywood Life got a juicy exclusive from an insider close to Rihanna, who said that: “Rihanna and Hassan have started talking marriage. He hasn’t proposed yet, but it’s heading in that direction and when he does Rihanna will absolutely say yes. She’s crazy in love with him. He’s her dream guy for so many reasons. Not only is he drop-dead gorgeous, he’s also a brilliant businessman with a huge heart.” So cute!

Many have been buzzing about a particular piece of jewelry she’s been rocking, but she hasn’t made any announcements yet — everyone is just sitting eagerly on the edge of their seats to see if she’ll finally declare that they’re officially engaged and will be heading down the aisle together in the near future. Can you even imagine how amazing that wedding would be?

11Hassan Used To Date Naomi Campbell

Given what a catch he is, it’s probably no surprise that Hassan Jameel has dated quite a few women before meeting Rihanna, but did you know that he’s even dated another celebrity? And we’re not talking some D-List rising starlet — we’re talking a straight up supermodel. It turns out that before he met RiRi, he was spotted with British supermodel Naomi Campbell in mid-2016 at the British Summer Time Festival. You might assume that they’re just friends who met through some kind of connection and decided to check out an event together, but there are a few paparazzi photos where Jameel is kissing Campbell’s cheek in a way that suggests it’s definitely a spicier kind of relationship.

However, they weren’t really spotted together again, so we can only assume it was a brief relationship, or perhaps even just a one-date thing where they realized they just weren’t meant to be together.

Either way, perhaps the relationship was good because it helped prepare Jameel a little bit for the kind of scrutiny he’d receive once the news broke that he was dating a celebrity. Even if you’re a billionaire, there’s just nothing quite like the amount of coverage celebrities get in the press and how obsessed the world is with their every movement.

10It’s A Good Sign That They’ve Been Keeping Things On The Down Low

When it comes to relationships, celebrities have a bit of an unusual reversal from what normal people do. If you’re a regular person, keeping a relationship a secret from everyone else is kind of a red flag, a sign that you’re ashamed of your relationship and don’t want anyone else to know about it. In the celebrity world, though, it’s a way of maintaining a bit of privacy and not having the public weigh in on your fresh, budding relationship and squashing it before it has time to grow. So, we totally understand Rihanna’s inclination to keep her relationship on the down low, particularly after the first date or two when she clearly realized she had something special on her hands.

An insider spilled to The Independent that “it’s the real deal. Rihanna has told friends she’s in love with him and seems completely smitten… they’ve been spending a lot of time together away from prying eyes and are really serious. They’re really enjoying each others’ company.” So amazing! We’re thrilled that Rihanna has finally managed to find someone who is as incredible as she is, and who is going to support her success rather than feeling threatened by it.

9RiRi’s Contemplating Leaving Los Angeles And Moving Across The World To Be With Him

Okay, this is how you know that things have gotten majorly serious. Rihanna is apparently so in love that she’s been contemplating leaving Los Angeles altogether and moving to Paris to be closer to him. Well, we kind of don’t blame her for being frustrated about the business — it’s definitely quite the trek to go from Los Angeles to the Middle East, and it’s not as if she absolutely needs to be there for her work.

She could theoretically bring her team and find an amazing recording studio just about anywhere.

An insider spilled some inside details to OK! Magazine, saying that “Hassan hates LA, so Rihanna has been traveling to Europe constantly to see him. They could have a relatively normal existence there [in France] without harassment from fans and paparazzi.” RiRi definitely wouldn’t be the first celebrity to trade in the paparazzi-packed world of Hollywood for a change in surroundings, and honestly — can you imagine how fabulous it would be to see RiRi in Paris? She would no doubt create a fashion empire, take Fenty Beauty to even higher levels, and still continue releasing hit song after hit song. The woman is unstoppable, and it doesn’t really matter where her home base is.

8Hassan Has Changed Rihanna’s Whole Perspective On Her Work-Life Balance

Okay, if you want to be totally charmed by the love story these guys have, just listen to this one. Apparently, as she confessed to Vogue, her relationship with Hassan has completely changed her entire perspective on life and how she spends her time — in a good way. She said: “I used to feel guilty about taking personal time, but I also think I never met someone who was worth it before.” Uh, can we just take a minute to process how adorable that is?

She’s finally found someone who is worth her precious time! She continued on the topic, saying, “even mentally, just to be away from my phone, to be in the moment, that has been key for my growth. Now, when I come to work, I’m all in. Because before you know it, the years will go by. I’m glad I’m taking the time. I’m happy.” That’s right — he is quite literally helping her become a better person. We totally love how he’s such a positive influence on her life, and how he just builds her up and helps her become the best she can be. Her life must be insanely busy, so it’s fantastic she’s found someone to help her maintain balance a bit more.

7They Were First Linked Together Way Back In 2016

Usually when a new relationship surfaces in the celebrity world, the couple in question have been seeing each other for a few weeks, perhaps a few months at the very most. Most people just can’t keep it a secret for much longer. Then again, most people aren’t Rihanna. It turns out, she was first linked to Hassan Jameel way back in late 2016 — December 31, 2016, to be exact. The two were spotted on video walking into a venue in London called the Toy Room, holding hands, as Vogue Arabia reports.

Obviously, people were curious as to who the mystery man was by her side, but it just wasn’t enough detail to kick off any paparazzi storms.

So, they managed to keep things on the down low all throughout 2017, and only recently has the world started really buzzing about this couple. That means they’ve had at least a year and a half of semi-privacy to cultivate their relationship, which is kind of unheard of when you’re as big a deal as Rihanna is. Obviously, they made their relationship a priority, and they wanted to make sure it wasn’t torn apart by the press and the paparazzi, because they knew there was something special there that needed to be protected.

6Rihanna’s Father Isn’t That Impressed — He Wants Hassan To Know His Daughter Is A Catch!

To be perfectly honest, sometimes it’s easy to forget that Rihanna has parents and a family and came from somewhere. She’s so incredible that it seems at times that she just sprung, fully formed, and started performing.

However, she does have a dad, and he’s apparently not too easily dazzled by Hassan’s good looks or wealth. In fact, as he commented to The Sun, “she told me she had a new boyfriend about a month ago. He’s going to have to buckle up, she’s a hard-working girl, she’s very independent and ambitious. Nobody can tell her what to do. She doesn’t want to be lifted up, she wants to get up there herself.”

Uh, first of all, we love that Rihanna’s dad is all about female empowerment and achieving your goals yourself — no wonder RiRi turned into such a superstar! And, we also love that he isn’t dazzled by Hassan whatsoever — he doesn’t care about how he looks or how much money he has in the bank, he just wants Hassan to cherish his daughter and treat her the way she deserves to be treated, which is pretty adorable. Even if your daughter is a huge celebrity, it turns out, a dad is still just a dad.

5Though They’re Both Super Rich, They Spent Halloween Together At A Humble Boston Bowling Alley

One of the things that convinces us that these two are the real deal the most is that they seem more interested in actually spending quality time with one another than in showing off for the paparazzi. There are many celebrity relationships where the individuals in question are basically only spotted at places that are luxe hot spots, guaranteed to be packed with paparazzi. Hassan and Rihanna, on the other hand, ended up spending Halloween together far away from Hollywood, at a regular Boston bowling alley. And, they weren’t too cool for costumes — Us Weekly reports that Rihanna was dressed as Kylo Ren from Star Wars and Hassan was dressed as a penguin and “they were all super nice and friendly.”

Can you even imagine what a surprise the staff working at that bowling alley must have had when Rihanna just waltzed through their doors?

Either way, we love that they avoided the Hollywood party scene and instead decided to get goofy, dress up, and hit the bowling alley together to celebrate the spooky holiday. It’s just such a down to earth, regular couple thing to do. We have a feeling these two are in it for the long haul.

4They Celebrated Her 2018 Grammy Win Together In New York — Although They Made Sure To Leave The Venue Separately

Even though she hasn’t brought him to any red carpet events as her date yet, that doesn’t mean Rihanna doesn’t want to celebrate major milestones with her man — she just wants to do it in private! After she snagged a Grammy for her collaboration with rapper Kendrick Lamar, RiRi headed over to New York City and met some people at 1Oak. And, it turns out, one of those people was Hassan Jameel. They spent some time together celebrating in private and eventually left the venue separately to make sure no one got any juicy photos of them.

On the one hand, it seems exhausting to have to go through all that, and they probably want to be able to leave places together. However, there are certain things you just have to sacrifice if you want to keep a bit of privacy when you’re a celebrity, and we have a feeling that having a relationship away from the public eye and away from public scrutiny is worth taking separate cabs from time to time. At least she had the opportunity to celebrate her big win with her man — that’s pretty amazing. We wonder if Hassan ever holds her Grammy awards and pretends he’s a winner too — we totally would!

3He Owns A Football League, So She’ll Always Get Front Row Seats

It’s not unusual to spot celebrity’s courtside at basketball games — usually in Los Angeles or New York — or even in the stands at NFL games, cheering on their hometown team. However, you still don’t spot a lot of North American celebrities at soccer games — although you’ll often see huge British A-Listers there, cheering on the team they support. Well, that might all change for Rihanna nowadays, although she won’t be heading to the UK to attend any games — she’ll be going to the Middle East.

Apparently, Hassan Jameel isn’t just a businessman — he’s also the owner of the Saudi premier league, according to The Telegraph, which he named after his company, making it the Abdul Latif Jameel League.

That’s right — the man doesn’t just own a sports team, he owns the whole league!

I mean, talk about finally finding someone worthy of Rihanna’s level of shine! We’re not sure how big a soccer fan she is, but she just might start being a fan now that she can score some amazing seats and support her man at the same time. We don’t really picture Rihanna has a huge sports fan, but hey — there’s always something you don’t know about celebrities, maybe she totally is.

2They Share A Love Of Philanthropy

Most celebrities realize what a fortunate position they’re in, and what a huge platform they have in the world, and they use that power for good by getting involved in philanthropy. Rihanna is no different. She even got Harvard University’s Humanitarian of the Year award back in 2017 for all her work in the world, reaching out to different communities and providing aid. And, it seems she’s met her match in Hassan Jameel. He’s the president of the entire charitable arm of his business empire, named Community Jameel, which according to The Telegraph has a mission of helping the “social, cultural, educational and economic development of individuals and communities in the Middle East region and beyond.”

They both have their passions and charities they support, but who knows — perhaps they’ll join forces one day and create some kind of foundation together to support the causes they believe in. These two are changing the world in so many ways, and we absolutely love it. It’s always awful to see celebrities who have absolutely no interest in philanthropy — they make such crazy salaries and have such fortunate lives, it only makes sense to give back and spread a little some of that joy.

1They Were Both Born In 1988

He seems young and handsome, but given all the accomplishments under his belt, you may have assumed that Rihanna was dating a man at least a decade older. However, it turns out, they were actually both born in 1988 — that’s right, they’re exactly the same age! The cultures in Barbados and in the Middle East are definitely quite different, so they may not have had that similar of an upbringing, but still — there’s definitely something about being in the same generation that kind of binds you together a bit.

Although, who knows — maybe she needs someone a little older to give her a different perspective on the world.

It’s tough because age truly is just a number — many people prefer dating someone closer to their age, while others play the field and date people both much younger or much older in the quest to find their perfect match. You just never know where you’ll find love and with who — it’s just a matter of getting yourself out there and meeting as many people as possible until you meet the right one, which is definitely something that Rihanna has experience with. The woman has certainly suffered through a lot of frogs before getting her prince.