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---
title: Rihanna Responds to Barstool Body Shaming, Gucci Mane Meme
description: Rihanna showed haters how she really felt with an Instagram that wryly addressed the body shaming she&#x27;s experienced on the Internet.
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author: Cady Lang
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article:published_time: 2017-06-06T15:31:23.000Z
article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:44:13.560Z
og:title: Rihanna Silences Body Shamers Like the Queen She Is
og:description: The bad gal claps back
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og:image:alt: Madeworn x Roc96 Pop-Up Event
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twitter:title: Rihanna Silences Body Shamers Like the Queen She Is
twitter:description: The bad gal claps back
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![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt87bb18e71d7775a2/6988d04ccd1bbad45f70583c/rihanna-response-body-shaming-barstool.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9)


# Rihanna Silences Body Shamers Like the Queen She Is

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![Cady Lang](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd534f2cb81c3b094/69894087e76ad2e66b633ad3/c_lang.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1:1)

by 

[Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)


![Cady Lang](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd534f2cb81c3b094/69894087e76ad2e66b633ad3/c_lang.jpg?branch=production&width=96&quality=75&auto=webp)

## Cady Lang


Jun 6, 2017 3:31 PM UTC

![Madeworn x Roc96 Pop-Up Event](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt87bb18e71d7775a2/6988d04ccd1bbad45f70583c/rihanna-response-body-shaming-barstool.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=3:2)

LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 31: Rihanna attends Madeworn x Roc96 Pop-Up Event on May 31, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jerritt Clark/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 31: Rihanna attends Madeworn x Roc96 Pop-Up Event on May 31, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jerritt Clark/Getty Images) Jerritt Clark—Getty Images

![Cady Lang](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd534f2cb81c3b094/69894087e76ad2e66b633ad3/c_lang.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1:1)

by 

[Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)


![Cady Lang](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd534f2cb81c3b094/69894087e76ad2e66b633ad3/c_lang.jpg?branch=production&width=96&quality=75&auto=webp)

## Cady Lang


Jun 6, 2017 3:31 PM UTC

While [Rihanna](http://time.com/4746220/rihanna-fenty-puma-video/) certainly has pressing matters to attend to right now like [cheering on her beloved LeBron James during the NBA Finals](http://time.com/4802935/rihanna-nba-finals/), or you know, just [generally being a bad gal](http://time.com/4431632/rihanna-wine-glasses/), the [_Anti_ ](http://time.com/4198509/rihanna-anti-review/)singer took to her Instagram on Monday night to seemingly respond to a _Barstool Sports_ article published last week that body shamed her.

The article, which has since been deleted, was crassly titled “[Is Rihanna Going to Make Fat the Hot New Trend?](http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:bVqxzCCiDD0J:www.barstoolsports.com/barstoolu/is-rihanna-going-to-make-being-fat-the-hot-new-trend/+&cd=4&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us).”

As might be expected, the post was met with plenty of anger and [criticism online](http://www.elle.com/culture/celebrities/news/a45619/rihanna-fat-shaming-no/), but the best response came from Rihanna herself.

The singer, [who’s proved herself to be a veritable Internet doyenne in the past](http://time.com/4707938/rihanna-instagram-livestream/), deftly shut down the body shaming and [affirmed her status as the baddest gal in the game](http://time.com/4762629/rihanna-queen-met-gala-2017/) with a single meme on Instagram. The meme features two images of [Atlanta rapper Gucci Mane](http://time.com/4366675/gucci-mane-game-of-thrones-snapchat/) at different sizes, along with the words: “If you can’t handle me at my 2007 Gucci Mane, you don’t deserve me at my 2017 Gucci Mane.” She then captioned the post with a sole emoji with a single tear running down its face, which could either be a reference to Gucci’s tear drop [face tattoos](http://time.com/4322795/justin-bieber-face-tattoo-reason/) or sarcastic tears shed for the people who unwisely spent the entirety of a blog post slamming a woman’s appearance.

Take note all others who dare to body shame: Rihanna is not here for the misogynistic rubbish.

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