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In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, the daughter-in-law of the late Rock ‘n’ Roll legend Tina Turner revealed that the “Proud Mary” singer was fearful that her son, Ronnie Turner, who passed away in 2022, would inherit the abusive traits of his late father, Ike Turner.
During her candid interview with the outlet, Afida Turner, who was married to Ronnie for years, said that the Grammy Award-winning singer would often tell her, “You don’t want to stay with him. He is going to be like his father.”
Afida added, “It is pretty rare for a mother to say that.”
Turner’s tumultuous marriage with Ike was no secret. The famous star spoke openly about the hellish abuse she endured at the hands of her late husband, beginning on their wedding night in 1962 when he forced her to visit a brothel. Ike’s deplorable behavior turned monstrous over the years. In her 1986 memoir I, Tina, the “Simply The Best” crooner revealed that her ex-husband punched her nose numerous times and gave her third-degree burns after throwing a scolding hot pot of coffee at her face, among other atrocities.
Afida said Ronnie showed some abusive signs early in their marriage.
At the beginning of their relationship, Afida admitted that Ronnie began to show similar signs of his father’s abusive behavior.
“At first, he was kind of like his father, but after that, he was doing very well,” she revealed. “He made a very big effort to keep me. Initially, it was very hard because I was unwilling to stay with him.”
Before their marriage, Ronnie had a history of cocaine abuse and drug-related arrests. In 1999, Turner’s second son was arrested for possession of cocaine. The arrest came a few years after Ronnie was charged with selling a controlled substance in 1987. Afida feared that her late husband would end up dying from his perpetual cocaine use, just like his father, who passed away from a cocaine overdose in 2007.
Sadly, Ronnie died from colon cancer in 2022–three weeks after his diagnosis. The grieving widow said she and Turner were “traumatized” by his sudden passing.
“It destroyed me. It traumatized me,” she recalled of the emotional experience. “It was hard for me to stay in the house. I lost weight. Tina was already extremely sick [when Ronnie was diagnosed]. She could not fly to Los Angeles and [care for him]. I had to do it all on my own.”
The loss was particularly devastating for Tuner because she was already grieving the loss of her first son, Craig, who died by suicide in 2018. Reflecting on the passing of Turner and her sons, Afida said that although she missed them dearly, it comforted her that all three were reunited now.
“They never had time to spend together, and now all three of them are together,” she said.
On May 24, Tina Turner died at the age of 83. Over the years, the indomitable star suffered from several health conditions, including hypertension that led to a stroke and kidney failure, intestinal cancer, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
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