Rihanna and her mom, Monica Braithwaite, arrive at the First Annual Diamond Ball on December 11, 2014 in Beverly Hills, California. ; Rihanna and her dad, Ronald Fenty, at the 54th annual Grammy Awards on February 12, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.Photo:Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic ; Lester Cohen/WireImage
Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic ; Lester Cohen/WireImage
Rihanna’s relationship with her parents, Monica Braithwaite and Ronald Fenty, has evolved over the years.
The “Umbrella” singer was born and raised in Barbados alongside two of her five siblings. Since leaving the Caribbean island at age 16 and skyrocketing to success with her vocals and entrepreneurship skills, Rihanna has opened up about her difficult childhood and her strained relationship with her father, which they have since mended.
Now that she’s a mom herself, Rihanna hopes to “break generational curses” while raising her two sons alongside her rapper boyfriendA$AP Rocky, perAccess Hollywood.
In honor of Braithwaite’s birthday in 2022, Rihanna dedicated anInstagram tributeto her alongside a throwback photo of them. “Being on the verge of motherhood,unlocked new levels of loveand respect I have for my mommy in a way that I could never explain!" the artist captioned it.
Here is everything to know about Rihanna’s parents, Monica Braithwaite and Ronald Fenty.
They have three children together
Rorrey Fenty, Rajad Fenty, Monica Braithwait and Ronald Fenty at Rihanna’s 1st Annual Diamond Ball in 2014.Albert L. Ortega/Getty
Albert L. Ortega/Getty
Over the years, Rihanna has shared glimpses of her relationship with Rorrey and Rajad on social media. Apart fromjoining his sisterand A$AP Rocky for dinner, Rorrey has also supported her career milestones, like herSuper Bowlhalftime show in 2023, wherehe cheered her onfrom the stands.
Meanwhile, Rihanna and Rajad are so close she considers himher “son"and she’s celebrated him on special occasions, likehis birthday. Amid the family pictures,Braithwaite also appearsalongside her three kids, whocall her"impactful.”
They raised Rihanna in Barbados
Rihanna with her mother, Monica Braithwaite, at the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval in 2012.David Livingston/Getty
David Livingston/Getty
The couple raised their family in Bridgetown, Barbados, where their daughter lived until she was 16 years old. They occupied a bungalow on a street that has since been renamed Rihanna Drive.
The “Diamonds” singer showedOprah Winfreyher childhood home during a2012 interview, in which she reminisced about sharing a room with her mom and brother and learning to cook in the kitchen.
Rihanna still considers Barbados home and documents her time there whenever she returns. In 2018, she captured one of her visits to the island and captioned anInstagram postfeaturing her parents, “home.”
Over the summer of 2023, she posted a pictureon Instagramof A$AP Rocky with their son,RZA, in Barbados.
They divorced when Rihanna was young
Braithwaite and Fenty separated when Rihanna was young and officially divorced in 2002 when she was 14.
The former couple had an intense relationship, in part due to Fenty’s struggle with addiction. In 2009, Rihanna recalled her parents’ marriage in a20/20interview withDiane Sawyeras “abusive” with multiple incidents of domestic violence.
Rihanna has said that the stress of her parents’ marriage affected her health, giving her excruciating headaches at age 8. “I had to go through a lot of CAT scans. They even thought it was a tumor,” she toldEntertainment Weeklyin 2007.
After her parents divorced, she stopped having headaches. ”It’s not great memories. But it helped to build me and make me stronger," the entrepreneur shared.
Rihanna and her father have had a rocky relationship at times
Rihanna and her father, Ronald Fenty, at her ‘A Girl Like Me’ album launch in April 2006.David Crichlow/Shutterstock
David Crichlow/Shutterstock
Fenty’s relationship with his singer daughter has had its ups and downs.
“You grow up with your father, you know him, you are a part of him, for goodness' sakes!” she said, perBillboard. “And then he does something so bizarre that I can’t begin to wrap my mind around it.”
The following year, Rihanna revealed to Oprah that she “repaired” her relationship with Fenty. The artist opened up about confronting how “angry” she was at him for her childhood experiences and began trying to separate who he was as a father and husband.
“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 said. “And I had to come to terms with that, and I was able to close that gap with him.”
Most recently, in 2019, Rihanna sued her father for allegedlyexploiting her namefor financial gain. PEOPLE reported that the pop star claimed, among other complaints, that her father founded a talent development company in 2017 called Fenty Entertainment, posing as Rihanna‘s manager to solicit new clients.
Three weeks before the case went to trial in 2021, Rihanna filed to dismiss the lawsuit, according toBBC.
Rihanna’s mother inspired her definition of beauty
Rihanna and her mother, Monica Braithwaite, at Stance for the Clara Lionel Foundation on June 6, 2018 in New York City.Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty
Despite staying busy with her continuously growing empire, Rihanna remains close with her mom and frequently shares tributes to Braithwaite in interviews and on social media.
In 2018, she dedicated her birthday to her mother. “Thank you for carrying me, birthing me, raising me, supporting me, teaching me, and loving me unconditionally!” the Grammy winner wrote alongside pictures of herselfon Instagram. “The woman I am today is because of everything that you are!”
Since then, the Fenty Beauty founder has revealed that her mom is her biggest beauty inspiration. In an interview forVoguewith A$AP Rocky, she named Braithwaite as her No. 1 icon.
She echoed similar words in a conversation withHarper’s Bazaarin 2007. “She knew everything about perfume, skin care and makeup,” Rihanna said. “She never let me wear makeup, but I was secretly fascinated. So, when she’d leave home, I would play around with hers.”
source: people.com
