The cousin to Lift Me Up star Rihanna, Tanella Alleyne died suddenly, according to reports. She was 28.
According to Loop Barbados News, her family and friends gathered at St. George Parish Church to celebrate her life on Monday, Aug. 28, when she was laid to rest.
Just six years prior to Tanella’s death, her brother, Tavon Kaiseen Alleyne, was shot and killed the day after he spent Christmas day with Rihanna in Barbados. He was 21.
And Tanella’s twin sister, Taneisha Alleyne, died at the age of 14, according to Page Six.
It is unknown whether Rihanna, 35, attended the service. It is also unclear how Tanella died, although reports say it was sudden.
In 2021, the FENTY entrepreneur took to Instagram to share the loss of her cousin, Tavon.
“miss you and dat smile cuz,” she captioned the post showing her blowing a kiss to him in a selfie.
At the time of his death, Rihanna was seen overcome with emotion as he was laid to rest. She later posted a tribute writing, “Sleep well buddy…we are at peace knowing you’re in a better place than we are.”
During Tanella’s ceremony, her adoptive mother, Julie-Ann Bryan, delivered a heartfelt eulogy for her daughter, stating that “Tanella lived a life of gratitude with an outrageous amount of attitude, sprinkled heavily with confidence.”
She continued: “There was something special about Nella. She was bold and courageous. Our love for each other was lit.”
Despite the heartbreaking circumstances, Bryan conveyed her appreciation for having time to love “Taneisha for 14 years and Tanella for 28 years,” before God “called them home.”
Tanella’s death comes just weeks after the Bajan megastar gave birth to her second son in Los Angeles on Aug. 3.
“Thank you for being the beautiful soul I’ve known since 2018,” Winnie Harlow wrote in the comments of Tanella’s last Instagram post. “Heaven needed a pure heart angel. Rest in heavenly peace.”
