Key Takeaways:
- Ronald Fenty, Rihanna’s father, died from respiratory failure, pancreatic cancer, aspiration pneumonia, and other ailments.
- The two had a complicated relationship but reconciled in later years, as Rihanna shared in a past interview.
- His death highlights the emotional backdrop to Rihanna’s growing family and evolving personal journey.
In May, Rihanna’s father, Ronald Fenty, sadly passed away at age 70. Now, on Thursday (June 26), the official cause of death has been revealed.
According to a death certificate obtained by TMZ, Ronald died from a combination of respiratory failure, pancreatic cancer, and aspiration pneumonia. He was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles late last month, and according to the document, acute renal failure and acute tubular necrosis were additional contributing factors to his death.
Ronald left behind six children. He had Rihanna and her two younger brothers, Rorrey and Rajad, with his ex-wife Monica Braithwaite before they divorced in 2002. Their family lived in Barbados, the “Diamonds” singer’s home, before later relocating to the United States. According to People, Ronald also had three other children from previous relationships: Samantha, Kandy, and Jamie.
Rihanna and her father’s relationship over the years prior to his passing
Like many father-daughter relationships, Rihanna and Ronald had their share of highs and lows. The Grammy-winning singer notably spoke out against her dad after he talked to the press about the 2009 assault she experienced from her then-boyfriend Chris Brown.
Years later, though, the two found common ground. In a sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey, Rihanna revealed that they reconciled. "I couldn’t separate him as a husband from him as a father… He taught me everything, and as awful as he was to my mom, at times, it didn’t compare to how great he was as a father," she shared. "I had to come to terms with that, and I was able to close that gap with him.”
So far, Rihanna hasn’t made a public statement about her father’s death. As fans know, the singer is currently expecting her third child with ASAP Rocky. The couple welcomed their first son, RZA, in 2022, followed by Riot in 2023.