"I just met this girl" — The Real Housewives of Dubai star Chanel reveals how Rihanna caused a feud between her and Lesa

Although fans of The Real Housewives of Dubai know that Chanel Ayan and Lesa Milan's friendship has been jeopardized, the reason remains unknown. Both blamed the other person for causing the rift, but neither of them revealed why they drifted apart.

While speaking with Page Six's Virtual Reali-Tea podcast on August 9, 2024, Chanel Ayan revealed when the tiff between the two started. She said that things went wrong after Lesa asked her to DM singer-songwriter Rihanna regarding Mina Roe, Lesa's maternity line. Although Chanel sent the text, she eventually regretted her decision and "unsent" it before the Grammy winner could read it.

"Everybody was like, 'Ayan, you cannot ask her [Rihanna] so much. You just met her.' You have to understand, I just met the girl," said Chanel.

The Real Housewives of Dubai star mentioned she previously texted the singer seeking advice for her makeup brand. Since she had not received a response, she did not wish to burden the A-lister with more questions and requests.

However, Chanel noted that it was not the only reason that caused their fallout. She asked the viewers to watch The Real Housewives of Dubai season 2 finale where the main cause for their dispute would be disclosed.

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The Real Housewives of Dubai star Chanel says she has a relationship with Rihanna

The Real Housewives of Dubai's fame Chanel mentioned on the podcast that she was close with the renowned artist Rihanna. She went ahead and added that the singer's involvement caused her to drift apart from her former best friend.

Chanel said she met Rihanna several years ago when she was set to model for Fenty Beauty, the singer's makeup line. Their relationship consolidated after Rihanna started following the reality star on Instagram in 2023. Soon, Chanel contacted Rihanna, seeking business advice for her makeup line, Ayan Beauty.

"I reached out to her and I said, 'I'm starting a makeup line and I would like to ask some advice about how to go [about] it because you're a billionaire,' " said Chanel.

She thought Rihanna was a "successful, beautiful mogul" who would help her navigate the market. Soon enough, Lesa requested that Chanel connect Rihanna with her maternity line, Mina Roe. A-listers like Beyoncé, Khloe Kardashian, Serena Williams, and Gigi Hadid had previously collaborated with Mina Roe.

The Real Housewives of Dubai star wanted Chanel to help get Rihanna on board. While speaking on the podcast, Chanel revealed that she did contact Rihanna but "unsent" the message because she felt she was not in the position to make demands.

"Everybody said, 'You just asked about Ayan Beauty. You don't have that kind of relationship yet with [Rihanna] to keep asking her stuff,' " said Chanel.

She confessed she even showed the message to Lesa because the latter kept asking if the singer saw the DM. Since her previous inquiry about Ayan Beauty was unanswered, she quickly "unsent" the Mina Roe text before Rihanna could read it. Despite their differences, The Real Housewives of Dubai star revealed she had nothing but "love" for Lesa.

"I support her. I support her with love, I support her with business," said Chanel.

She mentioned that fans will have to wait to find out the actual cause of their fallout in the upcoming finale. In a previous interview with ET, published on June 11, 2024, Lesa revealed that her friendship with Chanel ended over "miscommunication" and a lack of "loyalty."

She added that, while she was willing to prioritize their friendship, Chanel preferred prioritizing the show. She claimed that the relationship dynamics shifted in the second season, and viewers of the show will have to watch till the reunion to find out the main cause of their rift.

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The Real Housewives of Dubai season 2 reunion was filmed on August 8, 2024.