Tina Turner’s daughter-in-law reveals heartbreak caused by her children
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 Turner revealed after the death of her mother-in-law, Tina Turner, that the "Legs" hitmaker feared son Ronnie would inherit his father's violent traits.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/newspress-collage-27239975-1685201161584.jpg?1685187529&w=1024&1685187529)
![1972 family portrait of the Turner family in their living room](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/NYPICHPDPICT000011677423-4.jpg?w=816)
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.
The Post’s attempts to reach Afida were unsuccessful.
![Ronnie and Afida Turner at an event](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/NYPICHPDPICT000011680942.jpg?w=820)
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.
![Ike and Tina Turner posing for portrait on blue background. Ike holds a red electric guitar while wearing a tan suit, while Tina is dressed in a pink, frilly frock](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/NYPICHPDPICT000011677464-4.jpg?w=682)
![Photographed in 1964, Tina Turner looks joyful while dancing in a portrait wearing a green floral dress](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/NYPICHPDPICT000011675850-8.jpg?w=993)
The queen of rock and roll underwent a kidney transplant in 2017 after being diagnosed with intestinal cancer in 2016 and experiencing a stroke in 2013. But her Buddhist faith, Afida said, kept her going.
“She was ill for a long time, but she was extraordinarily strong too,” Afida said of Tina, who spent her final years living in Switzerland. “She was fighting for her life from 2017 until now. We knew how sick she was, but she was doing so well that this was not expected.”
Afida hopes her mother-in-law — who achieved a groundbreaking comeback career as a solo artist — is reunited with her children in the afterlife.
“They never had time to spend together, and now all three of them are together,” Afida said.
![Tina Turner performs onstage in Germany in a full leather outfit](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/NYPICHPDPICT000011676052-11.jpg?w=668)
While Afida did not share funeral plans for the late music legend, she praised Tina’s husband, Erwin Bach, for handling the arrangements, applauding him for helping Tina and doing “a good job at it too.”
Bach, a longtime music executive, married Tina in 2013 after a lengthy relationship.
“Tina Turner will be with us forever,” Afida said. “Rest in peace with your two sons, Ron, and Craig. I love you all very much.”
The Post has reached out to Tina’s representatives and granddaughter Raquel for comment.
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