I feared bug was going to kill me: Rihanna’s dad

RIHANNA'S father feared he was going to die after being struck down by a killer tropical disease.



Ronald Fenty, 57, was rushed to hospital when he was struck down by dengue fever.



Speaking as he recuperated, Ronald said: "It was horrible. I thought I was going to die." And he revealed he had no way of contacting Umbrella star Rihanna, 23 – real name Robyn – until one of his daughter's pals lent him a phone.



He said: "I was actually in a hospital ward that Robyn's friend worked in as a doctor. She offered me her BlackBerry to call Robyn. I called her and she was worried – she said, 'Daddy, what's wrong with you?'." Despite the peril, Ronald reassured his daughter – now back in LA after a pals' holiday in Europe – that he would be fine.



He added: "Luckily I pulled through after a scary few days."



The pair were once estranged over Ronald's crack addiction but are fully reconciled.



Rihanna's half-sister Kandy – who, like Ronald, lives in the island's capital Bridgeton – said yesterday: "It was dengue fever. He was bad. We were worried."



She added: "He's a good guy. He's made mistakes like everybody does but you learn from them. He loves all his children but he's very proud of Rihanna."

Rihanna’s £215k on girly yacht hol

RIHANNA would need more than a boot of a Volvo estate to fit the drink she necked on her booze cruise.



The star forked out £200K hiring a yacht for the past week for her and her pals – and they drank the boat dry.



The Bajan singer has been bongoed until 6am every night and getting straight back on it the next day.



After flying to Nice, south of France, on Monday, Rihanna has spent the last five days on a no-expense-spared trip to St Tropez, Cannes and Italy's Portofino and Sardinia.



One thing you can't call her is tight – she's been splashing around £3K a day on Champagne and meals out for her and her mates.



She's also been tipping crew and waiters around 100 euros a time. A source said: "The crew ordered the maximum amount of Laurent-Perrier Champagne they thought a few girls could down in a week, but they drank it all in just over a day.



"By midday on Monday they had sunk 12 bottles. On their nights out they ordered Moët & Chandon Champagne, Grey Goose vodka and Red Bull, each bill going into thousands."



Wednesday turned out to be a heavy afternoon. After downing bottles of bubbly at lunch, they decided to go diving in San Fruttuoso Bay, off Portofino.



But rather than seeing the Christ Of The Abyss statue there under the water, Rihanna grappled with her mates and flashed her bits before getting back on the boat.



A source added: "She wanted to go jetskiing but the crew said she was too drunk – so the girls just carried on boozing."



Good job the cruise ended in Cannes yesterday, Rihanna is expected at the MTV Music Video Awards in LA tomorrow night.

Rihanna on Shaq's love interest list

AN E-MAIL exchange between former basketball player Shaquille O’Neal and Newsweek journalist, Allison Samuels, has revealed that the sportsman had a thing for Barbados-born singer, Rihanna.



The racy e-mails between O’Neal and Samuels were reportedly exchanged in 2008 when O’Neal is believed to have rekindled his relationship with his wife, Shaunie. The couple had separated in 2007.



The Los Angeles Times newspaper alleged that Samuels sent the former LA Lakers player a list of names of women whom he could pick from for dating, but the player is said to have turned each one of them down, saying none of them was his type. He then came up with his own suggestions, it is claimed

It is alleged that he told Samuels: “All I want is you or Rihanna.”However, the newspaper said, Samuels hinted at the Loud singer’s age saying: “Rihanna is too young - 19 - she is just legal.”



Neither Samuels nor O’Neal, who retired from professional basketball in June this year, have commented on these reports.

Rihanna Dances On a Yacht

There doesn't seem to be a day that goes by that we don't see a bikini-clad Rihanna livin' it up poolside -- or in this case, on a private yacht.



The sexy singer recently stripped down to a bright blue bikini to catch some sun and do a little dancing in Saint Tropez and X17online.com was there to document the action.



The pop star drank the day away -- she and her pals were sipping on Champagne from some very fancy crystal glasses -- and even got their dance on.

Rihanna's see view

The singer has been non-stop while on her European trip with her pals.



Now in Portofino, Italy, the star dressed to impress as she headed out to check the local nightlife.



Just hours earlier she was necking wine with pals over lunch at the resort.



The singer also tucked into an ice cream during a shopping spree.



Wearing a sexy one-piece suit, the singer looked as tasty as her dessert.



Rihanna's personal trainer Ary Nunez recently revealed: "Chocolate ice cream is her comfort food. She says to me, 'I need my quota.' I believe deprivation leads to disaster, so I don't stop her — that'd be asking for trouble." Huge crowds hung around on the quayside to catch a glimpse of the R&B chart-topper.



Maybe that's why she went off snorkelling for the afternoon.

Rihanna gets cosy with a girlfriend

RAUNCHY Rihanna got all cosy with a girlfriend as they sailed off the coast of Italy, planting a smacker on her lips.



Don’t worry, the singing sensation hasn’t come out of the closet... but her support act have.



Cover Drive pranksters, Jamar, T-Ray and Barry, whose single ‘Lick Ya Down’ comes out tomorrow, tried to pull a jape on fellow band-mate, Amanda.



Hiding in what they thought was her wardrobe, the three lads leapt out only to find themselves face to face with Rihanna... in her smalls. A source said: “It turns out they had the wrong dressing room.



“Luckily for them, RiRi saw the funny side.”

Rihanna reveals never-seen-before chin scar

Rihanna recently revealed a never-seen-before scar on her chin at the V Festival, fuelling rumours that the singer might have undergone a plastic surgery procedure, such as chin augmentation or reduction or a chin lift.



The 23-year-old singer lifted up her head and displayed the two tiny scars as she performed on stage at the music event at Hylands Park in Chelmsford, Essex over the weekend.



It is not known how Rihanna got the scar, but the singer didn''t have it when she performed on 'The X Factor' last October, reports the Daily Mail.



It has previously been reported that she also has a permanent scar on her lip from where her ex-boyfriend Chris Brown punched her in 2009.Rihanna, who wore a revealing denim shirt and tiny shorts for the performance at V, treated fans to a string of hits including 'What''s My Name', 'Disturbia', 'Rude Boy' and 'S and M'.

Rihanna rekindles romance

Rihanna is reportedly back with her first boyfriend Negus Sealy, a ladies' man in Barbados known by locals as 'Love God', whose shoulder she used to cry on after her ex Chris Brown beat her up.

They have been inseparable since the 'Umbrella' star arrived in her homeland 12 days ago, and Sealy, 26, who dated Rihanna before she hit the big time, was seen hanging out at her villa on the posh Sandy Lane estate.

"Negus has hardly left her side. He was her first true love. The ladies here all love him - they call him the Love God," the Sun quoted a source as saying. "They've hooked up in the past when she's been back in Barbados but now things have progressed into a proper relationship again," the source said.

Sealy was also photographed dirty dancing with her at the annual Kadooment Day festival of Barbados.

"They were all over each other and their dancing got very hot and heavy," a fellow reveller said.

Rihanna poses for the new Vita Coco Tropical Fruit

Vita Coco, which produces pure coconut water, launched Vita Coco Tropical Fruit with Rihanna’s support, as she agreed to pose for their ad campaigns.

Business Wire reports that this new beverage will combine coconut water, pink guava, orange, red dragon fruit, as well as pineapple.

So, why did Rihanna agree to pose for the new Vita Coco drink? “I grew up in Barbados, so when Vita Coco approached me to help develop a new flavor, I thought we should combine the natural coconut water with fresh tropical fruits—two of my favorite things,” the singer says, according to Business Wire. “It tastes so delicious and reminds me of home.”According to Business Wire, the new beverage will have Rihanna’s signature to confirm the collaboration. Monsters and Critics reports that the ad features the singer sitting on a hammock by the beach.

Rihanna's Bikini Bod STRUNG OUT

Just when you thought Rihanna couldn't wear any less clothes in her home country of Barbados -- the curvy-licious singer hit the beach today ... wearing THIS.

Rihanna rekindles Barbados romance

Don't believe rumours that Bajan superstar Rihanna is shacking up with Canadian rapper Drake because she's rekindled her romance with an old lover from Barbados.

British newspaper The Sun reported yesterday that Rihanna, 23, who dated 26-year-old ''Lucky'' Negus Sealy just before the What's My Name singer hit the big time, had been seen dirty dancing with the same man locals refer to as "the Love God".

The newspaper said the pair had been "inseparable" since the singer arrived back home almost two weeks ago for the Bajan annual Kadooment Day festival.The Sun claims the pair have been relaxing at Riri's villa on the flashy Sandy Lane estate.

An unnamed friend was quoted as saying: "Negus has hardly left her side. He was her first true love. They've hooked up in the past when she's been back in Barbados, but now things have progressed into a proper relationship again."

The two were pictured frolicking on a beach five years ago and she reportedly went back to see Negus after her very public break-up with boyfriend Chris Brown.

Pictures and videos of the pair appeared all over the internet, showing Rihanna and Negus dirty-dancing during a parade - at some stages looking very together and sexual.

An onlooker told the newspaper: "They were all over each other and their dancing got very hot and heavy."

Rihanna dances in skimpy outfit in Barbados for annual Kadooment Day celebration

Rihanna brought her show on the road yesterday, quite literally.

The 23-year-old singer, who just completed the North American leg of her "LOUD" tour, managed to spend some time at home in Barbados for the annual Kadooment Day celebration, which commemorates the end of the harvest season.

Sporting a jewel-encrusted bikini, fishnets, elaborate red garter belts and plenty of flashy jewelry, Rihanna, who serves as an official tourism ambassador for Barbados, danced on a float and with members of the crowd.

I don't want to be a role model

The pop star says she likes to get attention with her sense of style. "Getting dressed, I want to pick the most bizarre pair of shorts so I can figure out how to make it look right, or work an outfit that will make people go, "What the hell is she wearing?"

On hating drama…and perfection: "I hate drama. But at the same time, nothing bothers me more than when life's perfect. And that's the sick part. I just love a challenge, whether it's a relationship, my career, clothing..."

On dealing with how messy life can get: "I think honesty is the ultimate liberation in life. People want to shy away from the truth and keep sweeping it under the rug. But after a while, you pick up the rug and there's just way too much dirt, so you might as well just be up front about it."On being a role model for young girls: "I want to set the right example and, at the same time, live my life….I feel like pop stars can't be rock stars anymore because they have to be role models, and it takes the fun out of it for us, because we just want to have fun with art."

On liking dominant guys in the bedroom: "I play a very dominant role in my life, in every aspect of it. And I like to feel like a lady still, at some point. I feel like that's the time when a guy really gets to be a man, and I get to be a woman. And if I'm being a man in the bedroom too, there's nothing really in it for me."

On her friendship with Katy Perry: "All my friends are guys, to be completely honest. But when I met her, it was such a breath of fresh air. I just couldn't believe this chick had no edit button….Katy and Lady Gaga came out of the gate exactly the way they think, the way they wanna dress, the way they wanna speak."

Rihanna to perform at X Factor boot camp?

In what could be some of the greatest news we've heard since the day someone found a copy of Now 46 in the office, Rihanna is rumoured to be playing this year's X Factor at the boot camp stage.

Yeah, the boot camp stage. Pretty weird right? Well the X Factor gang (who hopefully all have matching bumbags) have allegedly decided that seeing as Chezza and Dezza Minezza (the artist formerly known as Dannii Minogue) aren't on the panel this year, they need to add some more spice to the show.Rihanna is said to be scheduled to perform in front of the judges before the contestants take to the stage during boot camp, y'know, just to make them feel really good about their performances because Rihanna's will clearly be a bit shoddy.

Rihanna likes to feel “like a lady” in the bedroom

The ‘S&M’ hitmaker – who is currently single – is happy to be forthright and forceful in her everyday life, but says when it comes to sex, she wants to be treated “like a lady”.

Explaining why she likes a man to take charge, she said: “I play a very dominant role in my life, in every aspect of it. And I like to feel like a lady still, at some point.

“I feel like that’s the time when a guy really gets to be a man, and I get to be a woman. And if I’m being a man in the bedroom too, there’s nothing really in it for me.”

The red-haired beauty also spoke of her frustration that she can’t act like a “rock star” and have more fun in her career because she is a role model for many young girls.

She told the September issue of America’s Glamour magazine: “I want to set the right example and, at the same time, live my life….I feel like pop stars can’t be rock stars anymore because they have to be role models, and it takes the fun out of it for us, because we just want to have fun with art.”However, the 23-year-old pop superstar admits her image now is much more how she wants it to be than it was when she first shot to fame six years ago.

She explained: “In the beginning of my career, it was really strict for me. I couldn’t wear pink or red lipstick; it was just bizarre. We had a young fan base, and they were trying to keep me fresh. But I just really wanted to be myself. I wanted to be sassy, the attitude, all these things that I am.”

Rihanna 'to appear on X Factor 2011'

As well as watching Rihanna perform at the V Festival this month, fans of the Barbadian pop superstar will soon get to see her on television screens in the next series of The X Factor.

The singer has reportedly been signed up to perform for the show's contestants during the boot camp phase of the singing competition.

She is also expected to give her views on some of the hopefuls after hearing them sing.

Rihanna could provide a welcome boost in star power for the series, which will not feature Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole or Dannii Minogue this year.A source from the show said: "[It will be] very nerve-racking for the contestants but great viewing for the audience.

"Who could follow Rihanna and be confident? This will definitely weed out the good from the bad."

The S&M singer will be wowing fans with V Festival tickets this month, playing at Weston Park on August 20th before heading to Hylands Park the following day.

Rihanna has already started work on her next album

4 August 2011 - Rihanna has already started work on her next album.

The 'Umbrella' singer is already "closing up" recording on her sixth record according to Verse Simmonds, part of production duo The Jugganauts, who worked on her track 'Man Down', from her last album, 'Loud'.

He told MTV: "From what I understand, she is closing the album up now, and we did two records for her that she really, really loved and I'm really excited about them as well. They are records that we wrote and produced as the Jugganauts."

Verse added the song will have a different sound to 'Man Down', as Rihanna is always trying to better herself creatively and change her sound.He said: "It'll definitely not sound the same, because we always try, constantly — as producers, as artists — we try to always come with something different, a whole new sound."

It was rumoured earlier this year Rihanna was to work with Beyonce Knowles on a track, which could be included on her next album.

A source said: "Rihanna has wanted to work with Beyonce for some time now and, after talking about a duet at this year's Grammys, they have finally managed to set aside some time to record together."