Rihanna confirmed the death of one of her close cousins on Instagram on Tuesday night. Sources say she spent Christmas with her now dead cousin and other family members before learning about the tragic news on Tuesday (Dec 26th). “RIP cousin… can’t believe it was just last night that I held you in my arms! Never thought that would be the last time I felt the warmth in your body!!! Love you always man! #endgunviolence,” she wrote on Instagram.
Details surrounding his death are not yet known, but judging from what Rihanna wrote and what folks close to her are saying, it seems he was shot and killed. Nevertheless, a death of someone close to her during the holiday time is a horrific tragedy for her and her family. Rihanna has had a massive year despite not releasing a new album this year. She still had singles that charted on Billboard and was named the top streaming female artist on Spotify for a third straight year. This year she also launched her Fenty Beauty cosmetic line which brought 40 different shades of makeup to revolutionize the market and it paid off big for her since her products have been selling off shelves as quickly as they can be restocked.
Rihanna was looking to close out the year on a high note until this tragedy hit close to home. Last weekend, she performed “Loyalty” with Kendrick Lamar at the TDE’s 4th annual Toy Drive in Nickerson Gardens, California. The pop beauty gave a well-received performance which is the first live performance for her in a while. She also took some time out her busy schedule to attend JAY-Z’s “4:44” concert in California over the weekend.