Rihanna Praises Rachel Dolezal, Calls Her a "Bit of a Hero" in Vanity Fair

"Diamonds" singer defends former NAACP chapter president in the magazine

Rachel Dolezal made headlines this summer when she revealed she identifies "as black" despite being a Caucasian woman.

Dolezal served as the NAACP Spokane, Wash., chapter president before resigning amid the controversy, despite the group issuing a statement that defended her advocacy record. She even told Savannah Guthrie that she's "definitely not white" and also explained to Matt Lauer that there was "no biological proof" that her white parents, were, in fact, her parents.

"I know who raised me," she said. "I haven't had a DNA test. There's been no biological proof that Larry and Ruthanne are my biological parents. I'm not necessarily saying that I can prove they're not," she added, "but I don't know that I can actually prove they are. I mean the birth certificate was issued a month and a half after I'm born. Certainly there were no medical witnesses to my birth. It was in the woods."

Now, out of nowhere, she has a new supporter. In a wide-ranging interview with Vanity Fair for its November issue, cover girl Rihanna defends the former NAACP official.

"I think she was a bit of a hero, because she kind of flipped on society a little bit," Rihanna told the magazine. "Is it such a horrible thing that she pretended to be black? Black is a great thing, and I think she legit changed people's perspective a bit and woke people up."

Vanity Fair also caught up with Dolezal at the height of the controversy, and she explained how her skin could be so bronzed.

"It's not a costume," Dolezal explained of her appearance. "I don't know spiritually and metaphysically how this goes, but I do know that from my earliest memories I have awareness and connection with the black experience, and that's never left me."

"Like I said, I've had my years of confusion and wondering who I really [was] and why and how do I live my life and make sense of it all, but I'm not confused about that any longer," Dolezal continued. "I think the world might be—but I'm not."

Rihanna is also making political statements about Kanye West! Watch the video to hear what she has to say about his presidential run.