"Just running around outside, barefoot, free": Rihanna opens up about how her late father inspired her to raise boys

The "Umbrella" hitmaker and businesswoman Rihanna, who is expecting her third child with long-time boyfriend A$AP Rocky, in an interview on July 13, 2025, with Entertainment Tonight, opened up about her late father, Ronald Fenty.

The 37-year-old global pop star discussed how her father inspired her to raise her two sons, RZA (three years old) and Riot (will turn two in August). The singer turned actress also talked about how her father, Ronald Fenty's, death influenced a crucial parenting decision.

The "We Found Love" singer, who revealed her latest pregnancy at the 2025 Met Gala as she quite proudly flaunted her baby bump in different outfits, during her conversation with Entertainment Tonight regarding her late father, said:

"I’ve always dreamed of what type of grandfather he would be to them."

She continued and said:

"(He) prepared me for having two boys, really. The adventurous side of me, the outside side of me, the daredevil — it’s how I want to raise them. I want them to be outside and in nature. No tablet babies."

The founder of the cosmetics brand, Fenty Beauty, praised her father for all the fun she had during her childhood, which mostly included:

"just running around outside, barefoot, free."

The "Shut Up and Drive" hitmaker further added by saying:

"You don't get to do that anymore."

Rihanna's late father, Ronald Fenty, was excited to become a grandfather

The singer/businesswoman's father, Ronald Fenty, died at the age of 71 due to multiple serious health issues. Obtained by TMZ, his death certificate stated that he suffered respiratory failure, aspiration pneumonia, which is a bacterial lung infection, and also had pancreatic cancer. Besides that, he also suffered from acute tubular necrosis and renal failure.

Rihanna, who had a brief feud with his father Ronald, later reconciled and resolved the matter with him. In 2019, the "Diamonds" singer filed a lawsuit against her father as she claimed that her father's talent company, Fenty Management, was capitalizing on and taking undue advantage of her cosmetics brand, which happens to share their surname. However, a couple of years later, Rihanna decided to take back the lawsuit against her father and repaired their relationship.

Trending

When Rihanna and his partner, rapper A$AP Rocky, were expecting their first kid in 2022, Ronald was quite thrilled as he was about to become a grandfather. During a conversation with US Weekly, Rihanna's father said:

"I couldn’t be happier for my daughter. I actually jumped for joy when I heard. She’s always wanted to have kids and she’s going to be an amazing mom."

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback