Renowned R&B singer Rihanna has been thrown into mourning following the death of her dad, Ronald Fenty.
Fenty died at the age of 70. Rihanna’s father was reported dead in Los Angeles from a brief illness.
The official cause of death is yet to be revealed. Sources revealed to a Barbados-based outlet that Fenty’s family was with him around the time of his death.
Photos showed Rihanna’s brother, Rajad Fenty, arriving at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre on May 28, with reports indicating the singer was also in the vehicle.
Ronald Fenty and Rihanna’s mother, Monica Braithwaite (56), raised their family in Bridgetown on the Caribbean island of Barbados, where the future global star lived until she was 16.
The couple separated when the singer was young and divorced in 2002 when the singer was 14 years old. Besides Rihanna, whose legal name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, and Rajad, they have another son, Rorrey (35).
From previous relationships, Ronald Fenty has three more children: daughters Samantha (44) and Kandy (54), and son Jamie (41).
Rihanna’s Relationship with Her Father
According to news, the ‘Umbrella’ singer, 37, has been candid about how her father’s struggles with crack and alcohol addiction deeply affected her childhood.
She has shared that his substance abuse led to violent fights between her parents, some of which turned physical. When she was just seven, he reportedly slapped her so hard that it left a handprint on her cheek.
His addiction also forced the singer’s mother to work extra hours to support the family, compelling Rihanna to take on the responsibility of caring for her two younger brothers at a young age.
Her desire for a better life and escape from her difficult home environment likely motivated her to launch her music career at just 15 years old.
Their relationship did not improve with fame; in fact, it became more complicated as their issues often played out in the public eye.
Over the years, Rihanna and her father have had several public disputes: he was once removed from her tour for allegedly embarrassing her by disrespecting crew members; she was angered when he spoke publicly about her controversial relationship with Chris Brown; and he was kicked out of a charity event she organised after drinking shortly after completing a rehab program she funded.
Their relationship deteriorated further in 2019 when the ‘Diamond’ singer sued her father, Ronald, accusing him of trying to profit from her fame by using their family name to promote his entertainment business.
Despite the difficult phases, the relationship between father and daughter seemed to have improved recently. In February 2023, Ronald Fenty told TMZ he was “overjoyed” about his daughter’s renewed pregnancy with A$AP Rocky (36) and expressed his desire to be part of the baby’s life.
The family is mourning privately, with messages of support pouring in from fans worldwide.
In other news, the R&B superstar teased her new track, “Friend of Mine,” featured in the Smurfs movie trailer.
With an Afrobeats-inspired dance vibe, the song was released on Friday, May 16. This marks her first single since her 2022 release, “Lift Me Up.”
Fans reacted to the passing of the singer’s father and sympathised with her.
“Rest in paradise! Sending love and prayers.”
@mr__d.m.v
“RIHANNA 😭😭😭😭😭😭 OH MY GOODNESS!! NOOOOOOO.”
@mystic9977
“Some people will say, ‘Rihanna made a sacrifice’.”
@officialchadonlee
“Rhianna, OMG, I am so sorry for your loss. This is devastating. Praying for you and your family. 😢😢😢😢🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️.”
@tracynorris785
“I’m so sorry for your loss Rihanna.”
@suzigalatte14
“My prayers are with you my condolences 🙏🏾.”
@andreawashington8587
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