Afida Turner is sharing new details about the struggles her mother-in-law, Tina Turner, endured before tragically dying Wednesday at the age of 83.
The French musician, 46, revealed Tina feared her son, Ronnie, would “turn out like” his father, Ike, who put the “Proud Mary” singer through years of abuse during their 16-year marriage.
“[Tina] sometimes told me, ‘You don’t want to stay with him. He is going to be like his father,’” Afida told the Daily Mail in an interview published Saturday. “It is pretty rare for a mother to say that.”
The “What’s Love Got to Do With It” hitmaker claimed her ex-husband gave her third-degree burns on her face, used her nose “as a punching bag” and broke her jaw, according to her 1986 memoir “I, Tina.” She exposed her “abusive life” in interviews and in the 2021 documentary “Tina.”
Her fears of Ronnie inheriting Ike’s violent tendencies nearly came true, Afida said, admitting the 12-time Grammy winner’s son initially exhibited similar traits.
Afida married Ronnie in 2007.
“At first, he was kind of like his father, but after that he was going very well,” Afida said, recalling that she warned her late husband, who died of colon cancer in December at 62, that she would leave if the behavior continued.
“He made a very big effort to keep me. In the beginning it was very hard because I was not willing to stay with him,” she added.
Ronnie died mere weeks after his cancer diagnosis, making him the second of Tina’s sons to pass away before the legendary recording artist. “The Best” singer’s oldest son Craig died in 2018 of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Tina had also adopted Ike’s two sons, Ike Jr. and Michael, from his previous relationship with Lorraine Taylor.
“If you lose a child, or a loved one, you are going to cry every morning and every night,” Afida said.
While the family was still reeling over Ronnie’s death, Tina died Wednesday of natural causes, after years of health problems.
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