Pop singer Rihanna Fenty’s father, Ronald Fenty, passed away this week after a brief illness, as reported by a radio station based in his native Barbados.
Fenty succumbed to his illness at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. The exact date of his passing remains undisclosed.
On Wednesday, May 28, Rihanna and her younger brother, Rajad Fenty, were seen arriving at Cedars-Sinai.
Rihanna’s fans expressed their condolences and support for the pop star on social media on Saturday.
One X user shared the news, saying, “Rihanna’s father, Ronald Fenty, has passed away. Sending love and prayers to Rihanna and her family.”
Rihanna, who is expecting her third child with rapper A$AP Rocky, had a strained relationship with her father over the years. Fenty was accused of cheating on Rihanna’s mother, Monica Braithwaite (second from the right), and was also described as “violent” to members of his family.
In 2009, after singer Chris Brown assaulted Rihanna, her father publicly spoke about the situation without first discussing it with her.
“You grow up with your father, you know him intimately, and you feel a deep connection with him. And then, he does something so bizarre that it defies comprehension,” Rihanna exclaimed at the time.
Rihanna and her father had reconciled and grown closer. In a 2012 interview with Oprah, Rihanna revealed that she had mended her relationship with her father.
Fenty shared three children with his ex-wife, Monica Braithwaite: Rihanna, Rajad, and Rorrey. The couple divorced in 2002. Additionally, he had three children from previous relationships: Samantha, Kandy, and Jamie.
