The son of Magic Johnson was not sticking around for the nine-time Grammy winner at Dior. They made that clear during Paris Fashion Week. Days later, a separate moment outside a Paris hotel put Earvin (EJ Johnson) back in the spotlight. Then a one-word comment from Rihanna added an unexpected twist to the whole episode.

EJ Johnson avoided Magic Johnson’s athletic legacy to build a completely separate life in Hollywood. A standout role on Rich Kids of Beverly Hills first brought the media personality into the public eye. Rejecting traditional sports expectations, they carved out a space in fashion and entertainment instead.

In their Paris Fashion Week recap post, EJ revealed that the Dior presentation started an hour late because Rihanna arrived late.

“We just left the Dior show. Getting out of there was crazy, but the show itself was beautiful,” EJ said in a September 30 video. The show itself was not the problem. The wait was.

“It did start an hour late because Rihanna was late. We didn’t care to wait for her, but the show was beautiful nonetheless.”

It was a blunt comment, but EJ did not turn it into a bigger issue. They praised the presentation and moved on. Paris, however, had another moment waiting. A separate video showed EJ outside their hotel with photographers gathered around the entrance.

They appeared to be trying to get inside when security briefly stopped them. Cameras continued rolling as the awkward scene played out.

The HollywoodFix shared the footage with the caption, “EJ Johnson Gets Blocked From Entering His Hotel After Posing For Paparazzi At Fashion Week In Paris, France (Backgrid) #EJJohnson #MagicJohnson #Paparazzi 🌴.” Then came the unexpected reaction.

“Damn,” that was all Rihanna wrote in the comments.

The timing made the exchange hard to ignore. EJ had spoken about the delayed Dior show just days earlier. Now, a comment from Rihanna appeared beneath footage of another incident involving them in Paris. Still, nothing confirms the two moments were connected.

The singer has not explained what prompted the comment. It could have been a reaction to the hotel incident itself. It could have referred to something else entirely. EJ Johnson has not clarified it either.

PEOPLE reached out to representatives for both on Sunday, October 4. Neither provided an immediate response. For now, there is no confirmed feud. There is only a brief comment and plenty of unanswered questions. It is in the spotlight because there is already a public connection between the singer and the Magic Johnson family.

Magic Johnson has previously praised Rihanna’s talent. Her Super Bowl LVII halftime performance in February 2023 was one occasion that drew his attention. She headlined the show at State Farm Stadium in Arizona. The performance featured several of her biggest hits. It also ended with a major personal reveal. Rihanna announced that she was pregnant with her second child.

Magic Johnson joined the widespread praise for the performance. But EJ has never softened their fashion opinions. They have built a recognizable public image around celebrity style. Major red-carpet events often become a chance to offer an unfiltered opinion. The 2026 Met Gala was another example.

In May, the son of Magic Johnson called the event a “graveyard.” They also described the outfits as “awful.” Now, that assessment is back on the timeline, because Rihanna attended that same Met Gala with A$AP Rocky.

Again, that does not mean the Met Gala comments had anything to do with the recent Paris exchange. But it is another point of overlap between two figures who have both been prominent in the fashion conversation this year.

But there is still no answer to the biggest question. Was “Damn” about what happened outside the hotel? Was it connected to the Dior remarks? Or was it simply a reaction to the video itself? Nobody involved has said. So the exchange remains open to interpretation.

Even EJ seems unbothered about the comment. They have actively shared two more posts on Instagram and have ignored the Rihanna comment drama.