“What Now”? Rihanna has sued her father, Ronald Fenty, claiming he’s capitalizing on her business empire with his talent development company, Fenty Entertainment, according to court documents obtained by Us Weekly.
The Blast was the first to report that the 30-year-old pop star (real name Robyn Rihanna Fenty) alleges that Ronald is profiting off the reputation of Fenty Beauty and her other trademarked Fenty business ventures. TMZ reports that Rihanna has sent the 64-year-old multiple cease-and-desist letters and is now asking for damages and an injunction against him.
When contacted by OK!, Ronald seemed astonished by the news of the lawsuit. “She is? Suing me? Why would she sue me? It’s my name!” he told the site. “She’s never going to sue me — I’ll have to fight it!”
The “Work” singer lobs other accusations in the court documents too, saying that Ronald tried to file a trademark for Fenty boutique hotels and that he and a business partner falsely claimed to be her representatives to set up a 15-stop, $15 million Latin American tour for her in December 2017.
Amid the legal drama, the Fenty Entertainment website is currently still active, with an email link for submissions and a press release outlining the vision of the company. “Fenty Entertainment is a groundbreaking entertainment company, focused on cultivating new talent and developing TV and media platforms for promoting brand development,” the release reads. “Fenty Entertainment will integrate artistic talent, together with digital and mobile applications, to create a bridge in which online celebrities can bring their musical talents into mainstream culture.”
In the release, Ronald says the company’s focus “is on developing original television programs, motion pictures, live concerts, and record producing as well as talent.” The website bears a copyright date of 2015, though TMZ asserts he started the company in 2017.
Us Weekly has reached out to Rihanna’s rep for comment.
