LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA)- Father of global music superstar Rihanna, Ronald Fenty has reportedly passed away at the age of 70.
He is said to have died early Saturday morning in Los Angeles following a brief illness. An official cause of death has not been disclosed.
Family members have gathered in California to pay their respects, including Rihanna’s younger brother, Rajad Fenty, who was seen arriving at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center earlier in the week to visit their father.
The somber news comes as Rihanna is expecting her third child with longtime partner A$AP Rocky. The singer recently confirmed her pregnancy by debuting her baby bump at the high-profile Met Gala earlier this month.
Rihanna, born Robyn Rihanna Fenty, shared a complex relationship with her father over the years. Ronald struggled with alcohol and drug abuse and separated from Rihanna’s mother when the singer was 14.
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Despite these challenges, the two experienced periods of reconciliation. In 2012, Rihanna spoke publicly about making peace with her father, expressing that she had learned to distinguish his role as a parent from his past actions as a partner.
“He taught me everything,” she said at the time. “And as awful as he was to my mom, at times, it didn’t compare to how great he was as a father.”
Their relationship faced another setback in 2019 when Rihanna filed a lawsuit against Ronald, accusing him of using her name for personal business ventures without permission.
The legal matter was dropped shortly before trial in 2021, and Ronald later claimed they had reconciled once again.
He also expressed joy over being a grandfather, sharing that Rihanna had brought her son RZA to visit their native Barbados and describing her as a “very overprotective mother” who was fully embracing motherhood.
As of now, Rihanna and her representatives have not publicly confirmed Ronald Fenty’s passing.
