Ronald Fenty, the father of global music icon Rihanna, has passed away at the age of 70 in Los Angeles following a brief illness. Family members, including Rihanna’s brother Rajad, were seen visiting him at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center prior to his passing. As of now, the cause of death has not been officially confirmed.
Ronald’s death was first reported by Starcom Network News, a prominent radio outlet based in Barbados—Rihanna’s homeland.
Born on February 15, 1964, in Saint Michael, Barbados, Ronald Fenty was a warehouse supervisor of Barbadian, Irish, English, and Scottish descent. He and Rihanna’s mother, Monica Braithwaite, had three children together: Rihanna and her two younger brothers, Rorrey and Rajad. Rihanna also has three half-siblings from her father’s previous relationships.
Rihanna has been open about her challenging childhood, which was affected by her father’s struggles with alcoholism and crack cocaine addiction. She has said in interviews that her father used to abuse her mother physically, and that she would try to get in between them to break up fights.
Despite these challenges, Rihanna and Ronald managed to reconcile in 2012, and their relationship appeared to improve over the years. However, in 2019, Rihanna filed a lawsuit against her father for allegedly misusing her name to benefit his entertainment company, Fenty Entertainment. She accused him of falsely representing her in business dealings and attempting to book her for events without her permission. The case was dismissed in 2021 after a settlement was reached.
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ronald contracted the virus and was hospitalized in Barbados. Rihanna supported him by checking in daily and sending him a ventilator. He later expressed gratitude for her assistance, stating that he thought he was going to die during his battle with the illness.
This loss comes at a significant time in Rihanna’s life, as she is currently expecting her third child with her longtime partner, A$AP Rocky. The family is reportedly gathering in California to commemorate Ronald Fenty’s life.
As of now, Rihanna has not made a public statement regarding her father’s passing.
Sending condolences to the Fenty family.
