Ronald Fenty, the father of global music icon Rihanna, has reportedly passed away at the age of 70 in Los Angeles, following a period of illness. The news was first reported by TMZ, with Starcomm Network, a radio station based in Rihanna’s native Barbados, also confirming his death.
Family members are said to have traveled to California as they mourn the passing of the Fenty family patriarch. Rihanna, born Robyn Rihanna Fenty, has not yet issued a public statement regarding her father’s death.
Ronald Fenty had a complicated and often turbulent relationship with his superstar daughter, which at times played out in the public eye. Over the years, their father-daughter bond saw highs of heartfelt reconciliation and lows marked by personal and legal troubles.
In a candid interview with Oprah Winfrey, Rihanna once revealed the emotional toll of growing up in a home marred by domestic violence, recalling instances where she witnessed her father physically abuse her mother—at one point breaking her nose.
Ronald also battled addiction to crack cocaine and was known for heavy drinking. His struggles led to several public incidents, including his removal from Rihanna’s 2008 North American tour due to drunken behavior. At the time, the singer reportedly cut off contact with him for two years.
Despite these challenges, Rihanna made efforts to help her father. In 2013, she quietly enrolled him in a $58,000 rehab program in Malibu, sparing him from jail after an arrest in California. Yet the reconciliation was again tested when Ronald was ejected from Rihanna’s 2014 Diamond Ball for drunkenly falling on the red carpet.
Though strained, their relationship saw moments of peace, with multiple reconciliations over the years.
