Rihanna’s father Ronald Fenty passes away at 70

LOS ANGELES: Singer Rihanna’s father, Ronald Fenty, has passed away at the age of 70. As per PEOPLE, Fenty died in Los Angeles following “a brief illness.” The official cause and date of death have yet to be revealed.

It has been reported that Fenty’s family was with him around the time of his death. Representatives for Rihanna have not commented on the demise of her father so far.

Rihanna — who is currently pregnant and expecting her third baby —was born to Fenty and mother Monica Braithwaite in February 1988. Along with Rihanna and son Rajad, Fenty and Braithwaite were also parents to Rorrey.

Rihanna also has three half-siblings from her father’s previous relationships: sisters Samantha and Kandy, plus brother Jamie. Fenty and Braithwaite parted ways when Rihanna was young, and they officially divorced in 2002.

According to People, Rihanna had a complicated relationship with her father over the years. After the star was assaulted by her then-boyfriend Chris Brown in 2009, Fenty reportedly spoke to the press about the incident without his daughter’s consent. Rihanna addressed the matter years later in an interview with Vogue, in which she called the situation “really strange.”

“You grow up with your father, you know him, you are a part of him, for goodness’ sakes!” she said, per Billboard. “And then he does something so bizarre that I can’t begin to wrap my mind around it.”

A year later, Rihanna revealed to Oprah that she “repaired” her relationship with Fenty, though they continued to be at odds, including in 2019, when Rihanna sued her father for allegedly exploiting her name for financial gain. (ANI)