Talk about a startup disaster — one that ends with a $1 million price tag and a whole lot of internet shade. Beverage startup The3rdBevco tried to launch the ultimate celebrity liquor fantasy: RiRi Rum. The only problem? Rihanna had absolutely nothing to do with it.
In what’s now being dubbed one of the boldest (and messiest) celebrity marketing fails in recent memory, the company pitched investors a fake rum brand supposedly backed by Rihanna herself. They went all out — using her photos, snippets of her music to set the "vibe," and even teasing that the drink was ready to fuel “Hot Girls Summer” across the globe.
But the twist? RiRi had no idea this was happening. Her brother, Rorrey Fenty, was nearly roped in with a consulting contract before someone pulled the brakes just in time, preventing what could’ve become the scandal of the season.
Once the scheme unraveled, social media exploded with memes and mockery. Posts like “Imagine thinking you’re sipping RiRi’s rum… girl, bye!” and trending hashtags like #NotMyRum and #RiRiDontApprove swept across Twitter and TikTok.
The fallout? A hefty $1 million fine slapped on the startup, and a PR disaster they probably won’t recover from anytime soon.
Moral of the story: don’t fake it with RiRi — she will find out, and the internet will drag you.
