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Rihanna’s Father, Ronald Fenty, Dies at 70 Following Brief Illness
Ronald Fenty, the father of global music icon Rihanna, has passed away at the age of 70. The Barbadian patriarch reportedly died after a short illness, with his family by his side during his final moments.
Sources close to the family disclosed that Ronald breathed his last at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Among those present were his children, including Rihanna’s younger brother, Rajad Fenty.
The heartbreaking news comes at a significant moment in Rihanna’s life, as the singer and fashion mogul is expecting her third child with partner and rapper, A$AP Rocky.
Rihanna’s relationship with her late father was marked by several public ups and downs over the years. One of the most notable episodes occurred in 2019 when she filed a lawsuit against him, accusing him of misusing her name and falsely claiming to represent her in business dealings.
The suit alleged that Ronald had launched a company named Fenty Entertainment, posing as her manager in attempts to secure lucrative deals. The legal battle continued for over a year before Rihanna eventually dropped the case in 2021, just weeks before it was scheduled to go to trial.
Rihanna’s father, Ronald Fenty, has passed away at the age of 70. pic.twitter.com/bIbguI5aSK
— Pop Tingz (@ThePopTingz) May 31, 2025
Their father-daughter dynamic also made headlines in 2009 following the highly publicized assault incident involving Rihanna’s then-boyfriend, Chris Brown. Ronald gave interviews about the incident without his daughter’s permission, a move that deeply hurt the singer.
Speaking to Vogue years later, Rihanna expressed her confusion over her father’s actions at the time.
“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 had said.
Despite the rocky history, reports suggest that father and daughter mended their relationship recently. Ronald Fenty had publicly voiced his pride in Rihanna’s accomplishments and expressed joy at her journey into motherhood.
His death marks a poignant moment for the singer, who has often drawn from her personal experiences to shape her music and public persona.