Ronald Fenty, Rihanna’s Father, Dies at 70 After Illness
Ronald Fenty, the father of Rihanna, the worldwide music icon, and a figure of prominence for this reason, died at the age of 70 following a short illness, as reported from his homeland island of Barbados. The cause and the exact date remain unreleased. The sources said Fenty was seen with family and friends at the end of life. The hospital, incidentally, had a public sighting of one of the singer's brothers, Rajad Fenty, arriving at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on May 28. Rihanna herself was reportedly in the car but remained out of sight, most likely due to being heavily pregnant with her third child. In a way, this moment carried so much weight because of the complex reminiscences the singer shared with her late father.
A Complicated Father-Daughter Bond That Evolved
Rihanna—Robyn Rihanna Fenty—has had a contentious relationship with her father throughout the years that has been well chronicled in the media. They had an estranged relationship from the very first day due to unresolved family dysfunction that has at times strained their relationship even further. After the infamous 2009 assault incident involving Chris Brown, Ronald Fenty went on to speak out without Rihanna's consent. Far from helping, his comments only served to create more tension. On the other hand, Rihanna expressed her disappointment quite plainly in a 2011 Vogue interview, explaining how hard it had been to reconcile her father's public behavior with the man she thought she knew. Yet by 2012, they were attempting to work things out, as was revealed in the singer's emotional sit-down with Oprah Winfrey. Yet, even after rebuilding trust, their relationship faced another blow in 2019 when Rihanna filed a lawsuit accusing her father and his business partner of exploiting her name through a company called Fenty Entertainment.
Family Life in Barbados and Legal Disputes in the Spotlight
Ronald Fenty played a big role in Rihanna's early life in Bridgetown, Barbados, where he and his then-wife, Monica Braithwaite, raised three children: Rihanna, Rajad, and Rorrey. Ronald and Monica divorced in 2002, and their relationship became complicated thereafter. Despite whatever shadows they weathered together, Fenty's association with Rihanna recurs in both her private and public worlds. Their dispute in 2019, though, cast an intense spotlight upon their complex relationship; yet Rihanna withdrew the suit, rather unexpectedly, just a short time before the trial in 2021. The reverse side of the coin tells us that Ronald Fenty had another three chosen in life—Samantha, Kandy, and Jamie—with other women. While the curtains have finally drawn on the controversial chapter with his passing, it highlights the complexity of familial bonds that remain under the glare of celebrity.
