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Rihanna is mourning the death of her father, Ronald Fenty, who has reportedly passed away at the age of 70.
According to TMZ, Fenty died in Los Angeles after an unspecified illness. The news has also been confirmed by Starcom Network, a radio station in Rihanna’s native Barbados, which reported that several members of the Fenty family have travelled to California to be together in the wake of his passing.
The relationship between the global music superstar and her father was often strained and widely documented over the years. Ronald Fenty battled addictions to crack cocaine and alcohol, and Rihanna has spoken openly about the trauma she endured as a child growing up in Barbados.
In a candid 2012 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Rihanna recalled witnessing her father physically abuse her mother, even recounting one horrifying incident in which he broke her nose. She also described how these early experiences shaped her approach to relationships and trust as an adult.
Despite these difficulties, Rihanna did attempt to help her father over the years. In 2013, she quietly paid for a $58,000 rehab program in Malibu after he was arrested while visiting California, a move that ultimately kept him out of jail.
Their relationship remained rocky. In 2008, Ronald was reportedly removed from Rihanna's North American tour after being caught drunk on her tour bus, which led to a two-year estrangement. They later reconciled, but trouble resurfaced in 2014, when Ronald was thrown out of Rihanna’s Diamond Ball after causing a scene by getting intoxicated and falling on the red carpet.
There were also legal battles between the two. Rihanna filed a lawsuit against her father in 2019, accusing him of using her name to book entertainment deals without her consent. The case was settled in 2021.
While their bond was deeply complex, insiders say Rihanna remained concerned for her father’s wellbeing, even amid their many ups and downs.
Ronald Fenty leaves behind a legacy intertwined with the rise of one of the world’s most successful artists. He was known to speak with pride about his daughter’s career, despite their personal conflicts.
As Rihanna grieves this significant loss, fans around the world are sending their condolences, recognising that, fame aside, this is a daughter mourning her father.
