Rihanna is paying tribute to her late cousin, Tavon Kaiseen Alleyne, four years after his murder in Barbados.
The 33-year-old singer and Fenty founder took to social media on Sunday (Dec. 26) to honor Alleyne with a series of heartfelt photos, many of which featured her lovingly posing alongside him.
“Miss you and dat smile cuz,” Rihanna captioned the emotional post on Instagram, adding the hashtag #Tavon.
Alleyne, 21, was shot and killed on Dec. 26, 2017. At the time, local news outlet Nation News reported that he was shot around 7 p.m. while walking by a track near his home in St. Michael, Barbados, when a man shot him multiple times and fled the scene.
Rihanna shared the tragic news in a heartbreaking Instagram post at the time. “RIP cousin… can’t believe it was just last night that I held you in my arms! never thought that would be the last time I felt the warmth in your body!!! Love you always man!” she wrote alongside a series of pictures with her cousin, concluding with the hashtag #endgunviolence.
Rihanna later attended Alleyne’s funeral in her native Barbados. After the emotional “celebration” of her cousin’s life, the singer shared a dedication on her Instagram Story, along with a photo of Alleyne’s casket adorned with flowers.
“Sleep well buddy..we are at peace knowing you’re in a better place than we are. We will always have a void without you, but we will never stop loving you,” she wrote. “Hope you were happy with your going away celebration today.”
See Rihanna’s heartfelt post below.
