In Jimmy Kimmel’s opening monologue at the Oscars, Rihanna’s pronunciation raised some viewers’ eyebrows.
However, 95th Academy Awards executive producer and the late-night host’s wife Molly McNearney told Variety that the 55-year-old was bent on correctly pronouncing the name Work singer.
“Jimmy is obsessed with pronouncing people’s names correctly,” McNearney said, adding, “We always find video of the person saying their own name on camera. And that is the way you pronounce Rihanna.”
The 45-year-old also suggested that the Barbadian singer pronounces her name differently from Americans.
“Now America knows how to pronounce her name, although they won’t,” she said. “They’ll just assume Jimmy ****** up, but no, he did not!”
The Grammy winner also educated everyone on pronouncing her name correctly multiple times.
During The Ellen Show appearance in 2010, the pop star told the host, “I think it’s my accent; it makes me say ‘Ri-anna.”
