Maya Hawke teases dad Ethan Hawke for flirting with Rihanna in viral photo

‘Before Sunrise’ star famously tried to flirt with Rihanna in 2015 at a NBA game

Maya Hawke has poked fun at her father, Ethan Hawke, for famously trying to flirt with Rihanna at a basketball game.

The Stranger Things star, 25, recently teased her actor dad’s notorious flirting skills during a game ofVariety’s “How Well Do Ethan & Maya Hawke Really Know Each Other?” Back in 2015, the Before Sunrise star was pictured sitting courtside at an NBA game with his then-13-year-old son, Levon Roan Thurman-Hawke.

Ethan asked his teenage son, who happened to be sitting in between his father and Rihanna, to swap seats so he could chat to the “Diamonds” singer. His son, now 21 years old, appeared to be embarrassed as he put his hand to his head in one of the viral photos.

When the father-daughter duo was asked by Variety which performer Ethan would prefer to see in concert, Lady Gaga or Rihanna, the Dead Poets Society actor took the moment to address the viral photos. “I’ve been caught by the paparazzi openly flirting with Rihanna,” he said, to which his daughter corrected him, saying: “Openly trying to.”

“That’s been the family shame,” he jokingly added. “You’re really touching a nerve.”

However, the Asteroid City star then praised her dad for trying his chances with Rihanna. “No, it’s family pride.”

This isn’t the first time the Reality Bites actor has addressed his attempt to flirt with Rihanna. One day after the “Umbrella” singer took the stage at the 2023 Super Bowl halftime show - where she announced she was expecting her second child with partner A$AP Rocky - Ethan shared the amusing images to his Instagram, and apologised to his son for stealing his moment with the Fenty Beauty founder.

“After Rihanna’s brilliant half time performance, I’m hoping my son can find it in his heart to forgive a Dad for taking his moment,” he captioned a carousel of the three viral photos on his Instagram.

The Instagram post caught the attention of fellow celebrities, such as Gwyneth Paltrow, who commented: “Could you sit up straight, for god’s sake? You’re sitting next to Rihanna!”

Actor Alyssa Milano echoed Paltrow’s sentiment, writing: “Not sure I would have gone with this posture whilst sitting next to a goddess.”

One fan said, “Top 10 iconic moments of all time,” while another replied: “You were so real for this.”

Even his son Levon chimed in when he commented: “Iconic content.”

His daughter Maya also commemorated the moment when she reposted the images to her Instagram Story in honour of Father’s Day. “Happy Father’s Day specifically to Ethan Hawke making his son switch seats with him so he could get at Rihanna,” a tweet read, as Maya wrote on her Story: “Happy Father’s Day dad.”

Ethan Hawke shares daughter Maya and son Levon with ex-wife Uma Thurman. He was married to the Kill Bill star from 1998 to 2005. He went on to have two more children - Clementine Jane Hawke, 15, and Indiana Hawke, 12 - with his current wife Ryan Shawhughes Hawke, who he married in 2008.

Meanwhile, Rihanna announced she was pregnant for a second time last February after many viewers believed she was sporting a baby bump during her halftime show performance. A representative for Rihanna later confirmed the pregnancy speculation in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.

She and A$AP Rocky reportedly welcomed their second child, a boy, on 3 August in Los Angeles. The couple are also parents to one-year-old son, RZA Athelaston Meyers, who was born in May 2022.