Rihanna - Rihanna connected to ex Matt Kemp

Rihanna connected to ex Matt Kemp

Rihanna will always be connected to her ex-boyfriend Matt Kemp.

The 'Stay' singer - who was recently said to have rekindled her friendship with the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball player whom she dated for a year following her split from Chris Brown in 2009 - reportedly loves that he got a similar tattoo to her to remember his grandparents and thinks it was a ''manly gesture''.

The sports star got a tattoo on his chest in memory of his grandparents just months after the 24-year-old popstar got an inking of an Egyptian Goddess Isis on her own chest in memory of her late grandmother Dolly.

A source close to Rihanna told HollywoodLife.com she was extremely touched by his gesture, saying: ''Maybe they're connected and don't even know it. Matt and her are friends and they will always be friends and she knows how much he loves his family and like her, he loves his grandparents and that's obvious by what he did.

''She thinks that's manly of him to do something like that, to pay homage to those who he loves.

''The tat is dope and she likes it a lot. You know Ri, she's a fan of body art and she loves a man that's all tatted up. (sic)''

Meanwhile, Rihanna was previously reported to want to walk the red carpet with her on/off boyfriend Chris, 23, at the Grammys.

The couple recently rekindled their romance despite Chris still being on probation for beating her at a pre-Grammys party in 2009 - and have told friends they plan to make their first public appearance as a couple again at the ceremony on February 10 in Los Angeles.

A source previously said: ''She wants her man on her arms with her at the Grammys. They both aren't worried about being out in public together. That's obvious. She already talked to him about going to the Grammys together and that's the plan right now.''

Rihanna is set to perform at the event and is nominated for three awards including Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, Best Pop Solo Performance and Best Short Form Music Video for 'We Found Love'.