Billionaire Rihanna Doled Out Food to Homeless Vets While Pregnant — Alcoholic Dad 'Toughened' Her during Childhood

• Billionaire singer Robyn Rihanna Fenty is a successful musician and a mother of two.
• Rihanna had a difficult childhood as her dad drank a lot, abused drugs, and her mom.
• Today, the singer is an entrepreneur, has a successful music career, and conducts charity work.

Robyn Rihanna Fenty, born on February 20, 1988, showed off her talent from a young age. At school, she won several beauty pageants and sang Mariah Carey's single during her school's talent show.

Rihanna, born in Barbados, was propelled into stardom at the age of 16 when she signed the contract of her dreams and started releasing hits. Her songs were well-received, and she soon became a huge name in the entertainment industry.

Today, Rihanna is the wealthiest female musician, with most of her wealth coming from her cosmetics brand Fenty Beauty. She owns 50% of Fenty Beauty, while French luxury retailer LVMH owns the other half. The musician, who still makes money from her music, is worth $1.4 billion.

Rihanna is also a mom of two. The 35-year-old and her partner, A$AP Rocky have a son, RZA Athelston Mayers, born in May 2022. In August 2023, news broke that the singer and A$AP have welcomed their second baby, whose gender is still unknown.

The "Umbrella" singer announced her second pregnancy during her Super Bowl halftime show in 2023. She became the first pregnant woman to perform in the halftime show. The singer left the zipper of her layered jumpsuit open and rubbed her stomach to reveal her pregnancy.

Rihanna's success and her happy and glamorous life today come after a tough childhood in her hometown, Bridgetown. She was under the care of her mom, Monica Braithwaite, and dad, Ronald Fenty.

Rihanna's Tough Childhood and Charity Work

Rihanna was a bright student whose best subjects were math and chemistry. She didn't like PE. The singer was also a gorgeous girl who had her braids done to her waist. She loved the beach and worked as a cash register at her auntie's boutique.

The singer's mom was an accountant, while her dad ran a garment warehouse. Rihanna recalled that her dad had a temper that would scare her. He also drank heavily and was a drug addict. Ronald would come home drunk on Fridays, having used half of his pay to buy alcohol.

The singer was also scared because she saw Ronald beat her mom on numerous occasions, but she never went to the hospital, even when he broke her nose. The singer said domestic violence is something that people don't want anyone to know.

While Rihanna has admitted that her dad wasn't abusive towards her, he once slapped her so hard that he left a handprint on her face. She was seven at the time and had only wanted to stay at the beach a little more when her father hit her. The singer was traumatized because she knew she did nothing wrong to deserve the slap.

Ronald eventually lost his job, and things at home got tough. Rihanna went into a cocoon and wouldn't talk or cry. Monica recalled that her daughter began having "terrible headaches" and that she took her for CT scans. Doctors thought Rihanna had a tumor, but when her parents separated, the headaches disappeared.

The singer, who was pregnant with her first child, didn't go with a camera crew when she visited the homeless veterans.

Rihanna's dad's behavior contributed to her bad health. The singer blamed her dad for making her mother and her victims in his life. However, she understood the source of his behavior. Ronald was beaten and abused by his stepdad, and eventually, he resented women because his mother never protected him from his stepdad.

The "Diamonds" singer also appreciates the positive sides of his dad. She said he taught her how to fish, swim, run, and ride. "He really toughened me up," she added. Ronald wasn't the best husband, but to Rihanna, he was an amazing father. But when her parents separated, Rihanna was relieved he was gone as much as she loved him.

At school, Rihanna didn't have an easy time despite her successes. She was teased because of her skin color and breasts. As a successful musician today, Rihanna feels those experiences prepared her for the music industry, where celebrities often get bullied.

Rihanna got into the music industry after she was discovered by New York producer Evan Rogers while vacationing in Barbados with his wife. When Rogers heard Rihanna sing, he knew he had to have a follow-up meeting with her.

A 15-year-old Rihanna then recorded a Caribbean jam, "Pon De Replay," in December 2004, and it was sent to several record labels. The demo reached Jay-Z, the CEO of Def Jam Records, and he liked it. Rihanna was put on a plane and sent to meet with Jay-Z and other executives of the record label.

Rihanna aced the auditions and was so great that Jay-Z asked her what he could do to have her cancel all her other meetings. The singer got signed with the label, and her career took off at the age of 16. In 2005, her first album "Music of the Sun" was released.

Ronald always thought her daughter would become an entrepreneur due to her business side as a kid. She used to sell sweets, hats, belts, and scarves for a profit. Rihanna eventually took the entrepreneurial path, but not before she dominated the music industry. Aside from her business and music career, the singer also does charity work.

Rihanna, who was featured among the Forbes list of America's Richest Self-Made Women in 2023, visited veterans in 2022. She stopped by the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs campus in Brentwood, California, and spent hours listening to veterans' concerns and issues. She also donated items to them.

The singer, who was pregnant with her first child, didn't go with a camera crew when she visited the homeless veterans. She came with a van full of clothes, food, and other essentials such as toilet paper, sleeping bags, blankets, water flashlights, and thermal.

A pregnant Rihanna unloaded the goods from the van to distribute to the veterans, who later said Rihanna actually cared about them, took pictures with anyone who asked and gave them all her love and support.

Rihanna has always been a giver. In 2006, she created "Believe Foundation," a public charity organization. The singer donates to this foundation that helps terminally ill and disadvantaged kids. Some of the kids who benefit from the foundation have cancer and AIDS.

The mom of two also supports victims of domestic abuse. During the pandemic and the coronavirus lockdown, she gave $2.1 million to the Mayor's Fund in Los Angeles to help victims of domestic abuse.

Rihanna also donated $1 million through her Clara Lionel Foundation to help fight coronavirus during the peak of the pandemic. She further announced that her foundation had partnered with former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey to donate $15 million to causes such as mental health during the pandemic in Chicago and Newark.

Rihanna's philanthropic efforts have been felt by many in the causes she has championed and donated to. The singer has remained grounded even as a billionaire, remembering her humble background and choosing to help other disadvantaged people.

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