Rihanna credits her upbringing in Barbados with shaping her resilience and character. Born to Monica Braithwaite and Ronald Fenty, Rihanna was raised alongside two of her five siblings on the Caribbean island. Despite a challenging childhood and a strained relationship with her father, the “Umbrella” singer has mended her bond with him and continues to honor her family roots.

As a mother of two sons with her boyfriend, ASAP Rocky, Rihanna is determined to “break generational curses” and provide a nurturing environment for her children. Reflecting on her journey to motherhood, she shared a heartfelt tribute to her mother, Monica Braithwaite, on Instagram, expressing newfound respect and love as she navigates parenting herself.

In a candid moment, Rihanna noted how much she mirrors her mother in her mannerisms and expressions, calling the resemblance uncanny. “I literally make all the same faces and say the same things,” she told E! News, attributing this realization to her own motherhood experience.

Monica Braithwaite and Ronald Fenty share three children, and their story continues to shape Rihanna’s identity and values, blending family strength with her global success.

Braithwaite and Fenty have three children together: Rihanna (née Robyn Rihanna Fenty) and her two younger brothers, Rorrey and Rajad. Rihanna also has three half-siblings from her father’s previous relationships: sisters Samantha and Kandy and brother Jamie.

Over the years, Rihanna has shared glimpses of her relationship with Rorrey and Rajad on social media. Apart from joining his sister and A$AP Rocky for dinner, Rorrey has also supported her career milestones, like her Super Bowl halftime show in 2023, where he cheered her on from the stands.

Meanwhile, Rihanna and Rajad are so close she considers him her “son” and she’s celebrated him on special occasions, like his birthday. Amid the family pictures, Braithwaite also appears alongside her three kids, who call her “impactful.”

They raised Rihanna in Barbados

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 showed Oprah Winfrey her childhood home during a 2012 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 an Instagram post featuring her parents, “home.”

Over the summer of 2023, she posted a picture on Instagram of 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 a 20/20 interview with Diane Sawyer as “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 told Entertainment Weekly in 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 

Fenty’s relationship with his singer daughter has had its ups and downs.

After Rihanna was assaulted by her then-boyfriend Chris Brown in 2009, her father reportedly spoke to the press about the incident without his daughter’s consent. Two years later, the “Only Girl” vocalist addressed the matter in an interview with Vogue, in which she called the situation “really strange.”

“You grow up with your father, you know him, you are a part of him, for goodness’ sakes!” she said, per Billboard. “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 allegedly exploiting her name for 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 to BBC.

Rihanna’s mother inspired her definition of beauty

Rihanna’s admiration for her mother, Monica Braithwaite, is a recurring theme in her life and career. Despite her packed schedule as a global icon and entrepreneur, Rihanna continues to celebrate the woman who shaped her.

In 2018, Rihanna dedicated her birthday to Braithwaite, expressing heartfelt gratitude on Instagram: “Thank you for carrying me, birthing me, raising me, supporting me, teaching me, and loving me unconditionally! The woman I am today is because of everything that you are!”

Monica Braithwaite has also been a significant influence on Rihanna’s beauty journey. The singer-turned-business mogul has often cited her mom as her ultimate beauty inspiration. Speaking to Vogue alongside ASAP Rocky, Rihanna said, “My entire concept of beauty came from her. I wanted to dress like her, look like her, do my hair and makeup like her.”

This admiration for her mother’s elegance and expertise extends back to Rihanna’s childhood. In a 2007 Harper’s Bazaar interview, she shared how Braithwaite’s knowledge of perfume, skincare, and makeup captivated her—even when her mother didn’t allow her to wear makeup. “When she’d leave home, I would play around with hers,” Rihanna recalled, underscoring how her fascination with beauty began at an early age under her mom’s influence.

Whether dedicating her birthdays or crediting her mother as the foundation of her beauty empire, Rihanna’s bond with Monica Braithwaite is a testament to their deep connection.