Finance Exec Accused of Saying His Client Rihanna Is ‘Hot’ Because She’s ‘Not Too Dark’

It seems like Rihanna's financial-management firms always got something going on.  Suggested Reading The Root 100 – 2024’s Most Influential African Americans Post #3 6-18-2025 Post #2 6-18-2025 Video will return here when scrolled back into view Stefon Diggs and Cardi B Viral Boat Video Prompts Response from Patriots Coach To view this video please…

It seems like Rihanna's financial-management firms always got something going on. 

Video will return here when scrolled back into view
Stefon Diggs and Cardi B Viral Boat Video Prompts Response from Patriots Coach
Stefon Diggs and Cardi B Viral Boat Video Prompts Response from Patriots Coach

Back in 2012, Rihanna sued her former financial-management firm for mishandling her funds. Her experience was actually the inspiration behind the "Bitch Better Have My Money" music video, in which she kidnapped her accountant's wife in order to get the money she says she was owed.

This time, Robert Solomon, a former marketing executive at Flynn Family Office—Rihanna's current financial-management firm—is suing FFO because he claims he was fired for not putting up with the racist and sexist chatter that he says happened pretty frequently at the New York City firm, the New York Post reports.

According to court documents filed by Solomon, FFO's CEO, Rick Flynn, once said that Rihanna is "hot" and successful because she's "not too dark." Once, Flynn even described "what Caribbean nationalities were the most attractive based on skin tone" and dished out his thoughts on the "relative hotness of Asian women," Solomon's lawsuit says.

FFO put out a press statement denying these allegations: “We at FFO have always championed the rights of women and minorities, particularly in the workplace. The complaint filed today is without merit, and we intend to defend vigorously against these baseless claims.”

This is not a good look for a financial firm that is employed by one of the world's hottest black female entertainers, especially if it's hoping to recruit more black clients. 

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Diana Ozemebhoya Eromosele is a staff writer at The Root and the founder and executive producer of Lectures to Beats, a Web series that features video interviews with scarily insightful people. Follow Lectures to Beats on Facebook and Twitter.

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