Rihanna is one of the top 10 best-selling music artists of all time. Strong in spirit, hardworking, courageous, generous, and ready to help others, she seems to be basking in the glory of her success. However, her childhood is the exact opposite of what her life is like now. Having gone through domestic violence, poverty, and peer bullying, Rihanna has proven that nothing is impossible when you remain strong.

A troubled early childhood

Rihanna had to mature much earlier than her peers. She was born and raised in Barbados, and instead of growing up in safety and care, she faced problems in her family from early childhood. The singer grew up in an extremely disadvantaged environment. The main cause of the family’s problems was Rihanna’s father, who suffered from unhealthy habits and was a source of domestic violence.

The singer recalls how her father repeatedly beat her mother and once hit her as punishment for staying on the beach longer than she was supposed to. The family was constantly in fear. “He’d walk in the door, and it was all eyes on him,” she shared. The singer’s father spent money on himself, so the family teetered on the brink of poverty. To earn a living, he had to sell clothes on the street. Rihanna helped him as a child.

This is what Rihanna’s childhood home in Barbados looked like.

Discrimination at school

Children didn’t accept the aspiring singer. She was bullied during her entire school life. Peers teased Rihanna, and she was subjected to incessant mockery. The future celeb became a “good girl gone bad.”

However, every cloud has a silver lining, and Rihanna managed to benefit from the mistreatment. “This thick skin has been developing since my first day at school. It didn’t happen after fame; I couldn’t survive fame if I didn’t already have it. So sometimes the toughest thing in life is to be vulnerable,” Rihanna shared.

Her big break

Rihanna grew up under the influence of reggae music. She chose a musical career over finishing high school. The future internationally-known singer founded a musical trio with her classmates when she was 15.

The girls auditioned with producer Evan Rogers, who was impressed by Rihanna. He helped her to record the demo that eventually fell into rapper Jay-Z’s hands. When the producer met Rihanna in person, he didn’t let her leave the building until she signed a contract with his label. That was the beginning of the path of the rising star.

Rihanna’s struggles as an adult

Already popular, Rihanna continued to face inappropriate behavior from her father. The singer-songwriter accused him of defamation. He contacted the media and gave them false information about his daughter for an agreed fee. “My dad went to the press and just told them a bunch of lies. He never called to find out how I was doing, if I was alive, nothing. He went straight to the press and got a check,” she shared.

A few years ago, she made the difficult decision to sue her father for illegally exploiting her name for profit. Rihanna found that her father’s company hurt the interests of her brand, Fenty, and misled the public.

Every success has its dark side. Rihanna constantly has to deal with those who want to capitalize on her publicity. The unscrupulous media deliberately spread false information in order to get a portion of attention and financial gain.

All her relationships are closely studied and discussed. The singer was never able to enjoy her desired pregnancy to its fullest. The “evidence” that Rihanna is not expecting a baby but is faking a pregnancy was announced and actively discussed on the Internet.

A person with a big heart

An unhappy childhood and constant rumors didn’t harden Rihanna. On the contrary, she is known as a generous benefactor and foundation institutor. The singer started her philanthropic journey at the age of 18. Rihanna helps others battle serious diseases, such as cancer and AIDS, and donates funds to a Barbados hospital in honor of her beloved grandmother.

She also makes considerable efforts to provide support to the victims of domestic violence and to supply educational equipment to children in need.

A new chapter

Rumors and slander can’t stop Rihanna. In October 2022, the singer delighted fans by releasing her first song in 6 years. The single is called Lift Me Up. It became the soundtrack to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

She hasn’t yet announced the exact release date for the new album. Fans interpret every word of the singer in their own way in anticipation. The only information that can be said with certainty is that the long-awaited ninth album will be different from all the others. “I’m looking at my next project completely differently from the way I had wanted to put it out before. I think this way suits me better, a lot better,” Rihanna revealed.

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