Ronald Fenty, the father of global music icon Rihanna, has died at the age of 70 following a brief illness, as first reported by Starcom Network in Barbados.
Fenty reportedly passed away in Los Angeles, surrounded by family. While the official cause and exact date of death have not been released, sources confirmed that Rihanna and her younger brother, Rajad Fenty, were at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on May 28. TMZ reported that the singer was present but not visible in photos.
Born and raised in Barbados, Ronald Fenty was the father of six children, including Rihanna (born Robyn Rihanna Fenty), Rajad, and Rorrey, from his marriage to Monica Braithwaite, as well as three other children — Samantha, Kandy, and Jamie — from previous relationships. He and Braithwaite divorced in 2002.
Rihanna has spoken candidly about her complicated relationship with her father over the years. Their bond was shaped by personal trauma, public controversy, and intermittent legal disputes.
After the 2009 assault incident involving then-boyfriend Chris Brown, Fenty made headlines for speaking to the media without Rihanna’s consent. In a 2011 Vogue interview, she described the moment as deeply hurtful, saying, “You grow up with your father, you know him, you are a part of him… and then he does something so bizarre.”
The two reconciled briefly, with Rihanna telling Oprah in 2012 that she had “repaired” their relationship. But in 2019, tensions resurfaced when she sued her father and his business partner for allegedly using her name to launch a talent agency called Fenty Entertainment. She claimed they misled investors by pretending she was involved. Rihanna dropped the lawsuit just before trial in 2021.
Despite their turbulent past, the Fenty family remained connected. Rihanna, now a mother of two with A$AP Rocky and expecting her third child, has maintained close ties to her Barbados roots — including the bungalow on what is now called Rihanna Drive, the street where she grew up with her family.
Representatives for Rihanna have not yet commented on Fenty’s passing.
Ronald Fenty leaves behind a large, complex family and a legacy forever entwined with one of the most famous women in the world — a reminder that even in fame, family remains deeply human.