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Billionare Fenty CEO Rihanna stirred up a godly amount of online debate Tuesday after posing as a sexy nun for the cover of “Interview Magazine.”
The 36-year-old singer donned a black and white habit, the traditional attire worn by sisters dedicated to a life of religious observance. But Rihanna put her own spin on the garment, wearing an unbuttoned blouse that exposed her cleavage.
The cover image also showed the pop icon wearing baby blue eyeshadow, bright red lipstick, and a small black cross tattoo on her left cheek.
While some Instagram and X users applauded Rihanna for the daring work, many took issue with the provocative take on religious imagery.
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Rihanna is facing backlash for her provocative photoshoot where she dons the traditional garments of a nun. (Gilbert Flores/WWD via Getty Images)
One Instagram user, who identified herself as a Muslim, said the photoshoot was “disrespectful” and “strange.”
“Can’t do art without messing with other people’s religion? Is this how desperate celebs have become?” the user added.
“Our religion is not your marketing toy like stopppppp this is so annoying,” another chimed in.
“This is in poor taste,” another Instagram user wrote.
Other accounts said Rihanna, who recently performed at the Super Bowl, was “mocking God” and said they would be canceling their Fenty membership.
One social media account pointed out that the image was an homage to the actress Marlene Detrich.
Popular entertainment figures have often altered religious iconography as part of marketing runs, music videos and live shows.
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Rihanna performs during Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show at State Farm Stadium on February 12, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Roc Nation)
In January, rapper Lil Nas X apologized after backlash from Christians who said his song “J. Christ” made fun of Christianity.
In 2021, he collaborated on Satan-themed sneakers that featured a pentagram and inverted cross that reportedly contained 60 CCs of red ink mixed with a drop of human blood in the sole of the shoe. There were only 666 pairs made available.
In addition, in the music video for his 2021 song “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name),” the rapper was dressed provocatively while pole dancing and giving Satan a lap dance in Hell.
Fox News Digital reached out to Fenty and its affiliates for comment.
Fox News’ Kendall Tietz contributed to this report.
Nikolas Lanum is an associate editor for Fox News Digital.
