Rihanna Lookalike Making Big Bucks for Endorsements (Photos)

Rihanna (left) and her lookalike Andele Lara (right). Photo: Getty Images/Instagram

Ooh na na what’s her name? This 22-year-old may look like Rihanna, but it’s actually Andele Lara, a student from Boston, Massachusetts. She’s frequently mistaken for the sexy pop star, but as a kid Lara wasn’t always so keen on her looks. “Growing up, I was a very shy girl,” Lara told the Daily Mail. “I was known as the skinny girl with the big forehead.” But after experimenting with her hair and swapping her school uniform for more trendy clothes, her classmates started noticing her likeness to the Barbadian singer with the hit song “Umbrella” on the radio. “The comments started in my sophomore year. My friend had a magazine with Rihanna on the cover. He held it up to my face and was like, ‘You look like her!’”

As Ri-Ri rose to fame, Lara got increasing attention from strangers seeking photos and autographs. Nowadays she’s mobbed by screaming fans and sought after by brands interested in capitalizing on her similar appearance. She says she’s paid $20,000 by clothing companies to endorse their products. She’s also landed contracts to promote sneakers, mascara, and hair accessories with very little effort. “I know I could happily give up my part-time job and studies to have a career as a Rihanna lookalike,” Lara told the Daily Mail.