Ronald Fenty, father of superstar singer Rihanna, has passed away aged 70 after a brief illness.
According to reports, Rihanna’s family, including her brother Rajad Fenty, were present at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles during his final moments.
The sad news comes not long after it was confirmed that the singer is pregnant with her third child with partner A$AP Rocky.
Rihanna had a rocky relationship with her father while he was alive. They experienced periods of estrangement and public disputes.
In 2019, she sued him over unauthorized use of her name and likeness, alleging he misrepresented their connection to third parties.
Rihanna accused Fenty of exploiting her name by creating a company called Fenty Entertainment and posing as her manager. The case was later dropped in 2021, just weeks before it was due to go to trial.
Another rocky period their relationship went through came in 2009 after then-boyfriend Chris Brown assaulted Rihanna. Fenty gave interviews without his daughter’s consent. Years later, Rihanna spoke to Vogue, calling her father’s actions “really strange”.
“You grow up with your father, you know him, you are a part of him, for goodness’ sakes! And then he does something so bizarre that I can’t begin to wrap my mind around it,” Rihanna had stated.
However, the two reportedly reconciled in the past couple of years, with Fenty expressing pride over her transition into motherhood.
Several children, including Rihanna, Rajad, Rorrey, Samantha, Kandy, and Jamie, survive Fenty.
