By now, you are hopefully aware of how much Rihanna slays [1] in her new music video for "B*tch Better Have My Money." [2] What you might not know, though, is when it comes to her money, Rihanna [3] slays in more ways than one. As soon as the music video dropped, we couldn't help but notice the real-life correlation to Rihanna and a few financial troubles she faced back in 2009. Keep reading to learn about the true events that might have inspired that fierce-as-f*ck song, and then dive headfirst into our collection of Rihanna reaction GIFs [4] that you'll surely need at some point.
The Origin of the Story
According to reports, Rihanna's accountant severely mismanaged her finances in 2009 [5]. Not only did he allegedly fail to inform her that her 2009 Last Girl on Earth tour was losing money, but he also advised her to spend upward of $7.5 million on a mansion. The combination of these two tragic mistakes left Rihanna [6] effectively bankrupt by the end of the year.
Rihanna Gets Her Revenge
The second part of the reports state that Rihanna filed a lawsuit in 2012 [7] against her former accounting firm for mismanagement of her finances. She won the lawsuit, gaining back a total of $10 million [8].
The Hint in Rihanna's New Music Video
While the details of the story in "BBHMM" are hazy at best — there isn't any direct mention of what happened in the lyrics — this very short moment is pivotal in making a connection. When Rihanna [9] labels actor Mads Mikkelsen as "The Accountant aka 'The B*tch,'" it's a clear line to the same professional who devastated her finances in 2009.
So Basically, B*tch Got Her Money and Wrote a Song About It
Rihanna [10] was rolling in money after that, right? All we're saying is, she probably actually rolled around naked in a trunkful of cash. It's not beyond reason.
That Whole Murder Part Probably Isn't True, Though
We're going to go ahead and guess that the whole murder subplot was just a metaphor for how badly she gutted those guys in court. But who can really say for sure, right?