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Tina Turner’s daughter-in-law claims the late singer was worried her son Ronnie would follow in his father Ike Turner’s abusive footsteps.
Afida Turner, who was married to Ronnie in 2007 until his death in 2022, shared in an interview with The Daily Mail that the “Private Dancer” singer “sometimes told me, ‘You don’t want to stay with him. He is going to be like his father.’”
Ike, who died of a drug overdose in 2007 at the age of 76, was physically and verbally abusive to Tina during their 14-year union.
In her memoir, “I, Tina,” the eight-time Grammy winner wrote that Ike was abusive and promiscuous throughout their marriage, which even led to her suicide attempt in 1968 by overdosing on Valium pills.
French-born Afida, who is also a singer, confessed that at the beginning of their relationship, Ronnie did exhibit signs of troubling behavior.
“At first, he was kind of like his father, but after that, he was going very well,” she revealed, noting that she told Ronnie she would not stay with him if it continued.
“He made a very big effort to keep me,” she continued. “In the beginning, it was very hard because I was not willing to stay with him.”
Afida said Ronnie, who had a history of drug-related arrests, was a “heavy drinker” when she first met him but that she “made him stop drinking and go to the gym,” adding that “he was doing very well.”
Here’s what to know about legendary singer Tina Turner
The “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll” died at 83 on Wednesday after a prolific career that spanned decades.
Tina — who was inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 2021 — sold more than 100 million records worldwide throughout her career, with songs including the anthemic hit “The Best” and her solo comeback single “What’s Love Got to Do With It.”
She scored her first and only No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the song, which kicked off her 1980s career resurgence.
Tina was 44 at the time, making her the oldest solo female artist to top the Hot 100 chart.
The singer and actress had 12 total Grammy Awards, including eight competitive awards, three Grammy Hall of Fame awards and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
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Sadly, Ronnie died of complications from colon cancer months before his mother’s passing. He was 62.
Besides adopting two of Ike’s sons, the “What’s Love Got to Do With It” singer also had another son named Craig from a previous relationship with musician Raymond Hill, when she was just 18.
Tragically, Craig died by suicide in 2018, which Tina described as her “saddest moment as a mother.”
“He was 59 when he died so tragically, but he will always be my baby,” she said in the 2021 documentary “Tina.”
She also theorized that Craig was “lonely” when he passed away from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his Studio City, Calif., home.
Afida takes comfort in the thought of Tina being reunited with her sons.
“Tina Turner will be with us forever,” she said. “Rest in peace with your two sons, Ron and Craig. I love you all very much.”
The Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll died earlier this week at age 83 of “natural causes.”
