Rihanna's uncle accused of selling fake Puma x Fenty merchandise - report

Rihanna's uncle is reportedly facing charges of selling fake copies of items from her Puma x Fenty line.

Leroy Fitzgerald Brathwaite, 53, who is reportedly related to the pop superstar's mother Monica, appeared in court in Barbados this week (end26Nov17) accused of falsely passing slippers and T-shirts as Puma products.

According to Barbados' Daily Nation newspaper, police officers said they began investigating Leroy after a tip-off from the singer herself. During a visit to her homeland she reportedly noticed knock-off versions of her Puma line and reported the matter to company executives, who alerted officials.

Leroy, a musician who has performed under the names Daddy I-Roy and De Warrior has been charged under the country's Fair Trading Commission's (FTC) Consumer Protection Act.

He has denied the allegations, and his lawyers have claimed the charges were improperly laid as authorities failed to serve him with a warning under the act. He has been released on bail ahead of a hearing on 28 November (17).

Rihanna, 29, real name Robyn Rihanna Fenty, unveiled her Fenty x Puma fashion line last year (16) at a star-studded event during New York Fashion Week.

After debuting her first collection, the musician told The New York Times she hoped that her father, Ronald Fenty, who is separated from her mother, would be proud the brand shared his name.

"It makes me think of my dad and how proud he must be," she said. "It's his name. He grew up with this name. Now it's a name that's on an international brand."