- Rihanna’s Dad’s Last Days: Inside His Final Health Battle, Ronald Fenty died from acute respiratory failure, pancreatic cancer, and aspiration pneumonia, compounded by kidney failure.
- Family Presence, He passed surrounded by loved ones, including Rihanna, at a Los Angeles hospital.
- Tumultuous Bond, Their relationship weathered addiction, legal battles, and public fallout but ended in reconciliation.
- Rihanna’s Tribute, Though grieving, she’s focused on her growing family, honoring her father’s complex role in her life.
The entertainment world mourned last month when Rihanna’s father, Ronald Fenty, passed away at age 70.
Now, his official cause of death has been revealed, shedding light on his final health struggles—and offering closure to fans who followed the Fenty family’s tumultuous journey.
Ronald Fenty’s Cause of Death: A Battle with Multiple Illnesses
According to his death certificate, obtained by TMZ, Ronald Fenty succumbed to acute respiratory failure, pancreatic cancer, and aspiration pneumonia (a severe bacterial lung infection) on May 30, 2025, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Secondary conditions included acute renal failure and acute tubular necrosis, indicating significant kidney damage in his final days.
Fenty had been hospitalized in late May after a rapid decline in health. Family members, including Rihanna and her brother Rajad, were reportedly by his side in his final moments, per photos and sources from Page Six and People.
A Rocky Father-Daughter Relationship: From Estrangement to Reconciliation
Rihanna and her father shared a bond marked by public fractures and private healing. Their relationship strained under Ronald’s struggles with substance abuse and his unauthorized comments to the press after Rihanna’s 2009 assault by then-boyfriend Chris Brown.
“You grow up with your father, you know him… and then he does something so bizarre that I can’t wrap my mind around it,”
Rihanna told Vogue in 2011 28. Yet, she later reconciled with him, telling Oprah:
“He taught me everything. As awful as he was to my mom at times, it didn’t compare to how great he was as a father. I had to come to terms with that” .
Their truce was tested again in 2019 when Rihanna sued Ronald for allegedly exploiting her fame through his talent company, Fenty Entertainment. She dropped the lawsuit in 2021, and insiders noted they’d repaired their relationship before his death 26.
Rihanna’s Grief and Family Legacy
Despite their conflicts, Ronald’s death deeply affected the singer, who is currently expecting her third child with A$AP Rocky. A source told the Daily Mail:
“She’s had a very difficult relationship with her father over the years, but his death hit her like a ton of bricks. She’s forgiven him, and in death, they returned to a loving father-daughter dynamic” 28.
Ronald is survived by Rihanna, her siblings (Rorrey, Rajad, Samantha, Kandy, and Jamie), and ex-wife Monica Braithwaite. His legacy remains intertwined with his daughter’s rise—from their humble beginnings in Barbados to her global stardom under the name Robyn Rihanna Fenty.
Also Read: Lewis Capaldi: Age, Tourette Syndrome, Girlfriend, Top Songs, and Instagram Revealed
Last Updated on June 28, 2025 by 247 News Around The World
