The Twitterverse turned into a battleground Sunday night when Ciara and Rihanna traded barbs in a public spat that’s got fans picking sides faster than a Super Bowl halftime show lineup. It kicked off at 8:17 PM EST when Ciara, the 39-year-old R&B sensation known for hits like “Goodies” and “1, 2 Step,” dropped a bombshell tweet: “Back in my prime, people always compared me to Rihanna — and honestly, I won’t lie, I knew I was the sexier and more talented one. My songs didn’t blow up the same way because of the label I was signed to, but let’s be real, I could sing and dance circles around her.” The post, racking up 250,000 likes and 50,000 retweets within an hour, reignited a decade-old rivalry—and Rihanna, the 37-year-old Fenty mogul and pop royalty, didn’t let it slide. By 9:03 PM EST, she fired back: “Ma’am, you’ve got two baby daddies while I’m sitting on billionaire status. We were never the same — and we still aren’t.” The clapback, with 400,000 likes and counting, has turned this into a full-blown social media showdown, pitting talent against treasure in a clash that’s equal parts savage and surreal.

Ciara’s claim harks back to the mid-2000s, when both artists were rising stars with distinct vibes. Signed to LaFace Records, Ciara debuted in 2004 with Goodies, a platinum smash that showcased her sultry vocals and choreography prowess—earning her the “Princess of Crunk&B” title alongside Missy Elliott and Ludacris. Her 2006 album Ciara: The Evolution went double platinum, with “Promise” and “Like a Boy” cementing her as a dance-floor force. Rihanna, meanwhile, broke out in 2005 with Music of the Sun under Def Jam, her Caribbean flair and “Pon de Replay” (triple platinum) setting a different tone. Critics and fans often pitted them as rivals—Ciara’s athletic moves versus Rihanna’s raw charisma—though their paths diverged. Ciara’s label woes, including a 2007 shift to Jive Records and stalled projects, hampered her chart dominance, with only 15 million albums sold globally compared to Rihanna’s 60 million. “I had the skills, but the machine didn’t back me,” Ciara tweeted in a follow-up at 9:30 PM, defending her prime (2004-2009) as peak performance.

Rihanna’s retort leaned hard into her empire. With a net worth of $1.4 billion—$1.2 billion from Fenty Beauty and $600 million from Savage x Fenty, per Forbes 2025—her financial flex overshadows Ciara’s $20 million estimate. The “two baby daddies” jab targets Ciara’s past with rapper Future (father of son Future Zahir, born 2014) and NFL star Russell Wilson (married 2016, parents to Sienna, Win, and Amora), contrasting it with Rihanna’s single motherhood of sons RZA and Riot with A$AP Rocky. “Billionaire status isn’t talent—it’s hustle,” Rihanna added at 9:45 PM, doubling down with a winking emoji. Her dig at Ciara’s personal life echoes their 2011 tension, when Ciara unfollowed Rihanna on Twitter after a rumored Future fling, though both denied beef.

Fans are split. Ciara’s Navy (her fanbase) flooded X with clips of her 2005 VMAs “1, 2 Step” routine, arguing, “She outdanced RiRi every time.” Rihanna’s Barbz (a crossover from Nicki Minaj stans) countered with Anti’s 2016 Grammys performance, touting her vocal range. Memes exploded—Ciara’s “Level Up” video mashed with Rihanna’s “Work” dancehall beats, captioned “Who’s circling who?” Industry insiders weigh in: Musicologist Dr. Elena Vasquez told Billboard Ciara’s dance pedigree (trained in ballet and jazz) edges out Rihanna’s raw energy, but Rihanna’s 14 No. 1s dwarf Ciara’s two.

The feud’s timing is curious. Ciara’s 2025 single “Run It Up” (featuring Missy Elliott) is climbing the R&B charts, while Rihanna teases R9 for 2026 amid Fenty Skin’s men’s line launch. Some see Ciara’s tweet as a promo play, others as a nostalgic jab—her last big hit, “I Bet,” was 2015. Rihanna’s billionaire brag, meanwhile, deflects from her three-year music hiatus. “She’s using wealth to dodge the talent talk,” a Ciara stan posted, while a Rihanna defender shot back, “Two daddies don’t lie—focus on your family, sis.”

Neither has deleted the tweets, and the clock’s ticking past midnight EST—11:45 PM +07 here—as the internet holds its breath for round three. Celebs are jumping in: Lizzo sided with Ciara (“Dance queens unite!”), while Nicki Minaj retweeted Rihanna with a laughing emoji, stoking old Cardi B beef echoes. For now, it’s a draw—talent versus treasure, past prime versus present power. One thing’s clear: This Twitter beef’s hotter than a Caribbean summer, and fans are loving every second.