R&B star Rihanna felt uncomfortable around her mentor Jay-Z after the pair were dogged by rumors of an affair. The Umbrella singer was recently accused of being romantically involved with the rapper, whose longtime girlfriend is singer Beyonce Knowles.

And Rihanna insists the constant speculation put a strain on her professional relationship with Jay-Z, real name Shawn Carter, who was forced to address the issue.

She says, "I felt self-conscious around him until he took me aside and said that I just had to ignore it."

Rihanna has also been romantically linked to Hollywood actor Josh Hartnett and singer Chris Brown.

-Rihanna Pictures
-Jay-Z Pictures

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)