Rihanna’s parents are Ronald Fenty and Monica Braithwaite. Rihanna’s parents have mixed ethnicity as her father is half caucasian and half black while her mother is afro-Guyanese.
Since Rihanna’s rise to fame and following how proud she is of her Caribbean heritage, her parents have also caught media attention with many fans trying to know whether she inherited her knack for creating good music from either of them. Let’s see who Rihanna’s parents are, what their relationship with her is like, and whether they have other children besides her.
Who is Rihanna’s Dad Ronald Fenty?
Ronald Fenty, Rihanna’s father, was born in 1954. While there is no clear indication about where he was born, Ronald was most likely born and raised in Barbados. Physically, Ronald is very light-skinned. He is reported to be of English, Irish, Scottish, and African descent. Rihanna herself has said that in her hometown, her father was often described as “half-black and half-white,”.
Rihanna’s father is currently 70 years old. Ronald’s exact month and day of birth are unknown to the public. His religion is rumored to be Christianity. Robert never had any formal educational background and his work life heavily reflected this path. He reportedly worked for some time as a warehouse supervisor in Barbados. We also learned that Ronald Fenty was a clothes dealer and sold clothes from the back of his car in his younger years.
Ronald married Rihanna’s mother and together they had three children. He also had two other children outside his marriage. As Rihanna’s father, Ronald has gained a lot of public attention, especially regarding his relationship with his daughter. Subsequently, we’ll tell you all about the rocky relationship he had with his daughter and how they managed to finally navigate the winding path to peace.
Meet Rihanna’s Mom, Monica Braithwaite
Rihanna’s mother, Monica Braithwaite was born in Guyana, the north-central region of South America, with a coastline that faces the Atlantic Ocean. The small country also shares international and maritime borders with Trinidad and Tobago, as well as the islands of Barbados, Suriname, and Venezuela. Monica’s ethnicity is Afro-Guyanese, and unlike her ex-husband and daughter, she is very dark-skinned. A lot of details regarding Monica’s childhood and even adulthood have never been released to the public.
Monica’s age, date of birth, and zodiac signs are unavailable. She reportedly worked as an accountant for many decades before her daughter retired her. Because of Rihanna’s difficult childhood, we were able to ascertain that Monica spent most of her time working to feed her children. Her career path suggests that she didn’t stop at getting a high school education but probably acquired a tertiary degree as well. These days Monica is very quiet and doesn’t do much publicly. We are guessing it has everything to do with the security of having a billionaire as a daughter.
Rihanna and her mother are quite close as evidenced by what the public has observed from their few public appearances. Rihanna once wrote a sweet birthday tribute to her mother in 2019, where she thanked her for showing her what love, courage, sacrifice, and hard work really meant. For her birthday in 2021, Rihanna reportedly brought her mother on a date in New York City where she treated her to champagne, caviar, and chocolate cake, among other treats.
Rihanna’s Parents Divorced Over 20 Years Ago, in 2002
Rihanna’s parents are no longer together. The couple called it quits in 2002 after a tough marriage together. Rihanna’s parents separated when she was still a teen and they never got back together. They had three children together, including Rihanna, over the course of their relationship, according to Hello Magazine. Rorrey and Rajad Fenty are their two sons—they are Rihanna’s younger brothers.
Ronald, unfortunately, battled alcohol and drug addiction, which was bad news for Rihanna and her younger brothers. His substance usage is what ultimately caused his marriage to fail. According to the singer’s personal testimony, her father was immensely abusive to her mother. Ronald reportedly got violent frequently and left Monica with bruises on more than one occasion. Rihanna also confirmed that her mother never reported the abuse for a day, because she was afraid to do so.
After he walked out on his family, Rihanna’s mother went into overdrive trying to raise and fend for her children single-handedly. Young Rihanna was also not left out of the aftermath of her parent’s divorce as she took up most of the responsibility of looking after her younger brothers. In fact, there are rumors that her youngest brother thought she was his mother because their mother was barely around.
Ronald Fenty’s drug addiction, as well as his abusive tendencies, caused a huge rift between him and his daughter. Ronald’s rehabilitation took place before he began the process of mending his relationship with his daughter. She believes he is currently one of the coolest people on the earth.
Rihanna has had Issues with Her Father but They Have Made Up
Rihanna’s father has not always had the warmest relationship with her—and most of it was his fault. However, the singer made it a point to forgive her father for his misdemeanors and they have slowly worked out a better relationship. In fact, both are so close these days that Ronald was one of the first persons his daughter disclosed her pregnancy to in January 2022. The former warehouse supervisor wasn’t shy to express his pride in his daughter.
He was excited about the news like every other fan. According to news outlets, Ronald confirmed the pregnancy rumors, saying his daughter had sent him photos personally. While extolling his daughter’s beauty, Ronald told news reporters that he was ecstatic. He revealed that the singer had always wanted children, saying she loved kids, even to the point of taking care of her cousins’ kids. We do hope the duo continues to figure out more ways to make their father-daughter bond stronger.
Rihanna Has Bought Houses for Both Her Parents
Anyone who follows Rihanna already knows that she has bought houses for both of her parents. The make-up mogul declared that a childhood dream of hers had always been to buy her mother a house and in 2013, she brought that dream to life. Rihanna bought a five-bedroom mansion for her mother in 2013. Four years later, in 2017, she did the same for her father. The singer gifted her dad a mansion worth over $1.3 million in Barbados.
