Ethan Hawke finally addresses infamous Rihanna photos

These telling photos of actor Ethan Hawke with Rihanna went viral in 2015. Now, he’s finally come clean about what was going on.

US actor Ethan Hawke has finally come clean on infamous photos of himself with Rihanna.

The 52-year-old Academy Award nominee took to social media after the Barbadian singer’s epic Super Bowl halftime performance to address the viral 2015 photos taken at an NBA game.

In the photos in question, Hawke could be seen sitting court side with his then 13-year-old son, Levon Roan Thurman-Hawke, who is now 21. Rihanna was initially sitting beside Levon, with further photographs revealing Hawke had swapped seats with his son so he could sit beside the Fenty beauty mogul.

Rihanna, Levon Hawke and Ethan Hawke at an NBA All-Star Game in 2015. Picture: Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Further pictures showed Ethan Hawke had swapped seats with his son. Picture: Kevin Mazur/WireImage

The photos have long succumbed to harmless trolling online, including from Hawke’s 24-year-old daughter, Stranger Things actress Maya Hawke, who last year shared them to her Instagram page on Father’s Day.

Maya Hawke posting this on her Insta stories for Father’s Day 💀 pic.twitter.com/mnSnVL72Xt

— Fiona Small (@FionaSmall) June 20, 2022

Now Hawke himself has weighed in, sharing the photos on Instagram to pay tribute to the Umbrella singer, 34, for her dynamic 12-minute halftime show, which she performed while pregnant with her second child.

“After Rihanna’s brilliant halftime performance, I’m hoping my son can find it in his heart to forgive a Dad for taking his moment,” Hawke wrote.

A bevy of fellow A-listers rushed to the comments section, with Gwyneth Paltrow writing, “Could you sit up straight, for god’s sake? You’re sitting next to Rihanna!”

TV comedian Andy Cohen added, “BEST PIC EVER.” Meanwhile actor Lenny Jacobson dubbed Hawke a “legend”.

Hawke shares Maya and Levon with his ex-wife, Pulp Fiction actress Uma Thurman. The couple divorced in 2005.

He later married actress Ryan Shawhughes in 2008, and the couple share two daughters, Clementine, 15, and Indiana, 12.

Meanwhile, Rihanna casually revealed her second pregnancy during her set at the Super Bowl, sporting a visible baby bump in her red jumpsuit and low-key cradling her stomach.

Rihanna performing during the halftime show of Super Bowl LVII. Picture: Timothy A. Clary/AFP

The billionaire, who welcomed her first child, a son, with rapper A$AP Rocky just nine months ago, confirmed her pregnancy shortly after the show via her reps.

The music icon performed some of her greatest hits during a stunning halftime set in Arizona, and it’s since emerged she wasn’t paid a cent for the show, which was watched by just under 100 million people.

But according to Rihanna, her decision to perform this year was driven by her soon-to-be one-year-old son.

She explained at a press conference with Apple Music: “It is important for me to do it this year, it is important for representation, it is important for my son to see that.”

Originally published as Ethan Hawke finally addresses infamous Rihanna photos