Rihanna Accused Of Cultural Appropriation By Indian Social Media Users

Rihanna has been accused of cultural appropriation and religious insensitivity after posting a photo of herself on Instagram and Twitter in which she appears wearing only a pair of satin boxer shorts from her Savage X Fenty lingerie line and a pendant in the image of the Hindu god Ganesha, according to a CNN report.

“Can we stop sexualising people’s religion for clout,” reads one reply to the post. “I just don’t understand the purpose of having a necklace with lord Ganesh as part of a lingerie campaign.” Another user, meanwhile, wrote: “Our culture is not your costume.”

In 2019, the singer faced a similar backlash in China after posing in Chinese clothing and ornaments for the cover of Harper’s Bazaar China. The images had been intended to show what happens “when western style icon meets eastern aesthetic,” the publication said at the time.