(February 26, 2026) David Ruffin Jr. has announced on Facebook the passing of his mother, Genna Sapia-Ruffin, who was first known to the world as the wife of his father, legendary Temptations lead singer David Ruffin, Sr. She was 82 and was living in Acworth, Georgia at the time of her death.
Sapia-Ruffin told the story of her tumultuous decade-long relationship with the Temptations vocalist in the best-selling book A Memoir: David Ruffin – My Temptation. In it she detailed the troubled, often violent side of the singer, much of which she asserted was related to his drug use.
The details of their volatile relationship were shocking to readers, with times of both great affection and terrible aggression. As Sapia-Ruffin indicated in an interview with The Pixel Project, “My partner would physically abuse me. One incident stands out: my hair was long and he was hitting me and throwing me all over the room to the point where it must’ve been impossible to see where face, neck and hair began or ended. I was pregnant but I don’t think it mattered to him…In a flash, I saw how easily he could’ve snuffed out my life.”
Sapia-Ruffin’s experience led her to not only write the memoir, but also to become a speaker and advocate for abused women.
David Ruffin, Jr. praised his mother for the dedication and love to him and to her grandchildren: “Her love for her family ran deep, and will continue to show through all of us.”
By Chris Rizik
