Rihanna’s father, Ronald Fenty, has passed away at the age of 70 due to a brief illness in Los Angeles. According to reports from Barbados, where Rihanna is based, Fenty died after being surrounded by his family.
Fenty was born to Rihanna and mother Monica Braithwaite in February 1988 and had three siblings with Braithwaite before separating and divorcing in 2002. The singer’s relationship with her father has been complicated over the years, including a high-profile incident where Fenty spoke out about Rihanna being assaulted by her then-boyfriend Chris Brown without her consent.
Rihanna has publicly addressed her struggles with her father on several occasions, stating that she “repaired” their relationship after an initial rift. However, they continued to have issues in 2019 when Rihanna sued her father for allegedly exploiting her name and image for financial gain. The lawsuit was later dropped by Rihanna three weeks before the trial.
Fenty is survived by his son Rajad Fenty, who was seen arriving at a hospital on May 28 after reportedly visiting his mother during her pregnancy. Rihanna did not comment publicly on her father’s passing as of Saturday, May 31.
Source: https://people.com/rihanna-dad-dead-ronald-fenty-dies-at-70-following-brief-illness-11745979