In the music industry, friendships usually have the shelf life of a TikTok trend. One minute you're front row at the Grammys together, and the next, you're unfollowing each other because of a "creative difference" or a stray tweet. But if you’ve followed Robyn Rihanna Fenty for more than five minutes, you know there is one face that never, ever changes.
That’s Melissa Forde.
Most people just call her Mel. Or @mdollas11 if you're a day-one member of the Navy. While she’s often dismissed by casual onlookers as just another member of the "entourage," the truth is way deeper. Rihanna best friend Melissa isn't just a sidekick; she’s the person who knew Rihanna before the red carpets, before the billionaire status, and before "Pon de Replay" was even a demo tape.
They were just two kids in Barbados
Honestly, the backstory is kinda sweet. They didn't meet at a high-end industry party in Los Angeles. They met when they were 14 years old back home in Barbados. Think about that for a sec. At 14, you're just trying to figure out how to be a person. Rihanna and Mel were doing exactly that, roaming the streets of St. Michael, probably sharing snacks and talking about boys.
When Rihanna got "discovered" by Evan Rogers and whisked away to America, Mel was the one who eventually came along. She wasn't hired later to fill a role. She was there for the transition from a Caribbean teenager to a global powerhouse. That kind of shared history is impossible to fake. You can’t buy someone who remembers what your bedroom looked like before you were famous.
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More than just a "Bestie": The creative brain of Melissa Forde
People love to ask, "What does she actually do?" It’s a bit of a rude question, but let’s answer it. Melissa has basically been Rihanna’s unofficial creative archivist for two decades.
If you’ve ever scrolled through Rihanna’s Instagram and thought a photo looked particularly raw and cool, it was probably captured by Mel. She uses the hashtag #MTFPhotography. It’s not just about pointing a camera, though. It’s about the comfort level. Rihanna can be herself around Melissa in a way she can't be around a professional fashion photographer from Vogue.
But she’s got her own lanes too:
- Creative Direction: She stepped up as the Creative Director for the hat brand Wrkng Title.
- Design: She launched a bucket hat collection called M$$ X WT that was actually pretty fire.
- Business: More recently, she launched her own brand, Li Mel’s, which Rihanna (predictably) came out to support.
The "Ride or Die" is literal
There was a period in the late 2000s and early 2010s where these two were inseparable to a point that it confused the media. They were constantly photographed holding hands or partying until dawn. People speculated. People made up rumors. But for them, it was just survival.
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When you’re that famous, your world gets very small very fast. You've basically got to decide who you can actually trust with your life. For Rihanna, that's always been Mel. They even have matching tattoos—or rather, they have tattoos of each other’s birth dates. Melissa has Rihanna’s birthday on her, and Rihanna has Melissa’s. If that isn't soulmate energy, I don't know what is.
Navigating the "Assistant" misconception
One of the trickiest parts of Rihanna best friend Melissa and her public image is the "assistant" label. While Jennifer Rosales is widely known as Rihanna’s actual right-hand woman for business and logistics, Mel occupies a space that’s harder to define.
She's a confidante. A protector. A vibe-checker.
In an industry full of "yes men," Melissa is likely the only person who can look at one of the most powerful women in the world and tell her she's being annoying or that an outfit isn't working. That's a vital role. Without a Mel, celebrities drift off into this weird bubble where they lose touch with reality. Mel is the tether.
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Why this friendship actually matters
We see a lot of celebrity "squads" that feel like they were put together by a PR agency. They look great in photos, but you can tell there’s no soul there. Rihanna and Melissa represent the opposite. They represent loyalty that survives the "come up."
It hasn’t always been easy. They’ve had their public spats—well, "spats" according to the tabloids who overanalyze every unfollow—but they always come back to center. Even as Rihanna has transitioned into motherhood with A$AP Rocky, Melissa is still right there. She’s the auntie to the Fenty-Mayers kids. She’s the person holding the diaper bag in the background of a paparazzi shot while still looking effortlessly cool.
How to build a "Rihanna and Mel" level friendship
If you want a bond this strong, you've gotta realize it’s not about the fun times. It’s about the boring stuff.
- Shared History: You can't fast-track twenty years of knowing someone's family and flaws.
- Brutal Honesty: If you can't tell your friend they're wrong, you're not a best friend; you're an employee.
- Space to Grow: Melissa has her own business ventures, and Rihanna supports them without overshadowing her (as much as a billionaire can avoid overshadowing someone).
- Privacy: Notice how Melissa almost never gives "tell-all" interviews. She keeps the inner circle tight.
The next time you see a photo of Rihanna best friend Melissa at a Fenty Beauty launch or sitting courtside, don't just see a "friend." See a partnership that has defied the odds of fame. In a world of temporary connections, they're the exception to the rule.
If you’re looking to strengthen your own long-term friendships, start by focusing on "the vault"—being the person who can hold a secret for twenty years without flinching. That’s the real currency of a bond like theirs.