Rihanna’s father, Ronald Fenty, has died at the age of 70 following a brief illness in Los Angeles.
Fenty leaves behind three children with ex-wife Monica Braithwaite — Rihanna, born Robyn Rihanna Fenty in 1988, as well as sons Rorrey and Rajad. He also had three children from previous relationships: daughters Samantha and Kandy, and a son, Jamie.
According to TMZ, Rihanna and her younger brother Rajad Fenty were seen arriving at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on May 28, suggesting they were by his side in his final days.
Rihanna, who is currently pregnant with her third child, had a complex and often strained relationship with her father, shaped by both personal and public incidents. Fenty and Braithwaite separated during Rihanna’s childhood and officially divorced in 2002, when she was 14.
Their relationship faced challenges, especially in the public eye. Following the 2009 assault of Rihanna by then-boyfriend Chris Brown, 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,” she had stated.
In 2012, Rihanna told Oprah that she had repaired her relationship with Fenty, but tensions remained. In 2019, the singer filed a lawsuit against him, accusing him 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.
