Rihanna’s Father, Ronald Fenty, Dies At 70

Rihanna is grieving the loss of her father, Ronald Fenty, who passed away at age 70 in Los Angeles after a brief illness. While the exact date and cause of his death haven’t been confirmed, reports say Ronald’s family, including his children, were by his side during his final days.

On May 28, Rihanna’s younger brother Rajad Fenty was seen arriving at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A. Photos captured by TMZ suggest the global superstar was in the same car, quietly supporting her family during this private moment.

Ronald leaves behind a large family, including Rihanna, Rajad, and Rorrey — the three children he shares with Monica Braithwaite — as well as three other children, Samantha, Kandy, and Jamie, from previous relationships. Rihanna, born Robyn Rihanna Fenty in 1988, was raised in Barbados in a modest bungalow on what is now famously renamed “Rihanna Drive.”

Though her parents divorced when she was 14, Ronald remained a presence in Rihanna’s life — sometimes close, sometimes controversial.

Their father-daughter relationship has long been a rollercoaster. After Rihanna’s highly publicized assault by then-boyfriend Chris Brown in 2009, Ronald spoke to the media without her permission. Rihanna later opened up about the betrayal in a Vogue interview, calling it “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 said at the time.

Things didn’t get much easier in the years that followed. In 2019, Rihanna filed a lawsuit against Ronald, accusing him of using her name to launch a company called Fenty Entertainment, pretending to be her manager and misleading business partners. The lawsuit was dropped just weeks before trial in 2021.

Even with the legal drama and emotional wounds, Rihanna once told Oprah in 2012 that she had tried to “repair” her relationship with her dad. Like many families, theirs was full of love, hurt, healing, and complexity.

Now, Rihanna, who is currently pregnant with her third child with A$AP Rocky and already mom to sons Rza and Riot, faces the bittersweet reality of losing a parent while preparing to welcome a new life.

As of May 31, Rihanna has not made any public statement, and her representatives have not responded to requests for comment.