In a tremendously moving and articulate interview with 20/20, Rihanna gave her first full-length statements about her assault by Chris Brown in February. Describing the beating she suffered in a car with Brown, the singer said that when he beat her, “He had no soul in his eyes… It was almost like he had nothing to lose.” Speaking to Diane Sawyer, Rihanna said of Brown’s remorse afterward, “He’d say, ‘You hate me, don’t you?’ and I would lie and say, ‘No.’”
That was a chilling moment, one among many. Sawyer showed Rihanna online videos of people — fans? — saying that she must have provoked Brown. Sawyer paraphrased their sentiments: “They say, ‘Did she bait him? Rile him?’”
Rihanna said bluntly of such questions, “It’s ignorance.”
Demonstrating a maturity and thoughtfulness about her experience, Rihanna noted, “With fame comes a lot of things, and the most dangerous is freedom… no boundaries.”
At the same time, she said that when she’s shown the pictures of her battered face from that night, “I get very ashamed, angry… embarrassed… You start lying to yourself, blaming yourself… I didn’t want people looking at me. I felt really lonely.”
She claimed never to have heard the song Brown supposedly recorded for her called “Changed Man.” When Sawyer showed her the internet apology Brown issued and asked the singer’s reaction, Rihanna said simply, “It sounds like he might be reading off a teleprompter… I don’t know if he understood the extent of what he did.”
Rihanna explained the fight’s source: ”I caught him in a lie,” when she saw a text message from another woman. “I wouldn’t drop it, and he couldn’t take that.” She described their love as “dangerous… It was a bit of an obsession.”
The awful pressure that is placed upon celebrities to be role models was made clear when she said, “My selfish desire for love could result in some young girl getting killed. I could not be easy with that, responsible for that.” How terrible that this woman should have to bear that weight in addition to what happened to her. That’s one of the biggest flaws of current pop culture — the notion that celebrities must set an example for others. Rihanna went so far as to say to Sawyer, “I’m glad it happened to me, because now I can help young girls when it happens to them.”
Sawyer asked if she “hated” Brown. She replied, “I want him to do well, to have a good career… and to grow up.”
Did you watch the interview? What do you think of Rihanna’s statements?
Comments (1-30) of 302 Add your comment
no i dont really care.
I can’t believe I’m saying that but actually it’s true: a lot of people don’t actually care about this.
I really hope she did this just to free her mind. She’s really brave for revealing what went wrong with CB but soon or later, people will get bored of all this. We all have our private matters and she’ll have to face some other issues in her life, will she go back to Diane Sawyer everytime? She’s a singer, a singer makes a living by selling tracks, if people don’t like hers, they won’t buy them no matter the drama she went through. Maybe she should have written a book and earn some green with it (it’s all money!). Chris Brown may be a brutal douche but people WILL forget about it. Bobby Brown – yes, same last name – sang for Michael Jackson Tribute at the BET awards, who recalls he ruined Whitney’s life? She said she woke up one day as Britney Spears, why not following her comeback moves: get yourself together, hit the recording studio, release great tunes, go on tour, stick to your family and friends, period.
but it’s rihanna getting her lie together just as Britney is doing. she has a couple new songs out right now and her album is coming our november 23rd. So wouldn’t u say shes coming back
I could not have said it better . I totaly agree with you .I sometimes have a hard time believing what they say . I tend to think that theses celebraties sometimes make things up so you can either buy their music or go and watch their movies.
Seeing as 8.18 viewers tuned in on a Friday (and this does not even include DVR viewers), I’d beg to differ…a lot of people care.
Lena…let me guess. She “made up” that picture being bloody and bruised…just so people will buy her music. Yeah- THAT seems extremely plausible.
Wow, Lena, you reall are ignorant if you think that Rihanna made this incident up!
If you don’t care about it, why did you bother reading the article?
EW posters, can we please put a boycott on this type of response? It’s overused – you know what, people CAN read articles and still not care very much about the subject. We’ve all done it. God knows I know more about Heidi Montag and Kate Gosselin than I would like.
I think the point is: if you don’t care, why bother posting a response? Just move on and don’t waste your time.
You might not, but others do. Especially a lot of people out there that have gone through a similar experience. I applaud her and her team for finally addressing the issue so the media can move on. But hopefully she’ll continue to be a voice for domestic abuse groups.
Sooo tired of this broad dragging all this up now JUST BECAUSE SHE HAS AN ALBUM TO PROMOTE. Hey Rihanna – go suck an egg, will ya? And STFU please. This is OLD SHIZZ!
I think it’s you who should STFU instead of telling abuse victims to keep the truth to themselves.
bluejeans is a sad excuse for a human being and crawled out scum from which he was spawned. get a life jerk! Rihanna wasnt aloud to talk about it and now she can so she is!
And this is the reason violence against women still continues… Maybe the timing is off. Maybe her handlers want some pub out of it, but regardless, it happened and it was horrible for her and I’m sure for him too. I still applaud her for her honesty and for giving another face to this awful abuse.
I think it takes a while to reflect on something like this before you can articulate your thoughts in any meaningful way. Personally, I want him to rot in jail, not “do well”.
nothing made me more proud as an EW reader/subscriber/american to see the first two comments (Kim and Bluejeans)
no sarcasm here. let’s move on people. Stop giving them a reason to print this schlock.
I totally disagree. I could agree if we were talking about “schlock” that included more wah-wah drama from kate and jon, or other celebrity trite. but this happens to be celebrity news that is intertwined with an epidemic in the US. some women in this country needed to hear what Rhianna had to say. and if a single woman was helped and was able to make sense of her own situation and make a game plan to better her situation, then that makes it all worth it. and i daresay that that is indeed what has happened somewhere in this country. that’s not “schlock.” That’s life changing for one woman.
I absolutely disagree; the more people hear things like this the better. This isn’t something to hide; it is something to keep talking about so that other victims of domestic abuse will find the courage to finally try to leave a very bad situation. Domestic violence is so prevalent in our society and it stays that Saying someone should keep quiet is saying it is ok for the abuser to keep abusing. It does not stop, it escalates until; too often someone ends up dead. So I say keep talking; keep it in the news and if someone you know is a victim help them.
Oh Bluejeans…silly, silly bluejeans. You know the one thing that makes your comment false and shows what an ignoramus you are is…Wait for it…
Her album wasn’t MENTIONED ONCE! Not at all. So next time you want to get up on your soapbox- get your facts straight.
You can promote an album without mentioning it. “Oh, hello, I figured now would be as good a time as ever to step into the limelight”… Because that is soo believable.
Then perhaps you should get yourself a dictionary and learn the definition of “promote” since it’s apparent you don’t have a clue as to what it means.
I suppose the court system conspired with Rhianna to finish the trial around the same time her album drops too, eh? Yeah- THAT must be it…
according to what you write,you seem to care more that you allowed yourself to,when i dont care about spmething,i dont read and certainly dont write about it…unless i do but dont know how to really express my feelings
I don’t think abuse is something that can or should ever be classified as “old shizz”, as you so eloquently put it.
Does it not occur to anyone that Rihanna perhaps was not allowed to speak about the situation until Chris Brown’s trial was over? It’s very naive to assume she didn’t speak out immediately after the beating simply to hold out until she could make a buck off of it. I agree, though, that there should never be a time restriction for when someone comes forward about domestic abuse. Who are we to dictate how/when she gets her story out? And for everyone who says that no one cares about this story – if Rihanna never said a word about the abuse, she would be getting a ton of flak for avoiding talking about it. Many people are still interested in what she has to say.
I’m so with you, jk.
I think WHENEVER she wanted to come forward and do this brave act on TV no less is just fine. Remember, she’s a very private person — did we ever see her doing other interviews hardly ever?? NO. So to do this and to talk about the subject matter she did – she was purely doing it to help others – because like it or not haters, people look up to her. She wanted to help at least one other girl out there escape from a violent situation before they are killed. Why don’t you people STFU, people obviously who have never been in this type of situation have no f’ing room to talk or to judge. If you don’t like reading about her – then don’t use your little fingers to click on the f’ing story. PLEASE.
And the rest of you that are saying foul-mouth things whether you have been in her situation or not (and none of you have been her her EXACT situation) – you must be so jealous of her looks, her fame, or just her in general – You need to come to terms with that and realize you are being negative on a person that you don’t even know (and no, you DO NOT know her no matter how much you like to complain or judge or just flap your gums or rather, fingers typing). Just because this is a free country and a free Internet doesn’t mean you have to disparage another human being for your own enjoyment and to the distaste of others around you.
Rihanna has a new album coming out and there is no doubt that she would have been asked about this in every single interview she did. People were not going to let up until she spoke. Now at least it is out there and she can say, “I’ve said all I have to say on the matter.”
Exactly. As I said before, how could she NOT say something. And as you said, now it’s done and over and she doesn’t have to say anything else about it while she’s out promoting her album.
Wow.Poor Rihanna she must have suffered a lot..
She is as fake as hell
It’s actually disturbing to see comments like this. These responses are even more sombering than the actual event.
comments like this make women in this situation think there is no one to help them because if they ask for help they will get the same reaction.
i watched the interview and i was very impressed by rihanna. she had a very clear sense of what was happening to both her and the world that watched the event. she never made it appear as though what he did to her was acceptable and yet she did not bash him. rihanna is a very respectable person who knew exactly what to say and how to say it.
ditto. I’d never thought much of Rihanna before. But she came across as very mature and genuine. I’m rooting for her.
I agree too. I was seriously impressed with her. For someone so young, she seems to have her head on straight.
I agree with you. She’s not a pop music featherhaed after all. And to those who say she is doing this to promote her album, you’re wrong. She needed time to heal herself and because the album is coming out, she knew she’d have to address the incident.
Absolutely. This is the first interview I’ve watched with her and I was very impressed.
I love her and I hate him, but yeah. It’s pathetic that shenow talks about her experience ONLY because her new album is about to be released.
LOL, do you know her personally?
If not, how do you know that the album is the “ONLY” reason that she’s coming forward? Yea, it may be a contributing factor, but did you ever think that maybe it’s taken her a little while to gain the strength to come forward?
Also, have you ever thought of the possibility that regardless of what her motivations are, her coming forward may give other victims the strength to do the same?
You people amaze me with your ignorance.
Telly B, that’s unfair. Why is she pathetic? So she’s just supposed to ignore the huge elephant in the room? If she didn’t talk about it now, people would wonder why. They would probably criticize her for not allowing TV hosts to ask her questions about the incident.
Could you be any more ignorant? Don’t resume to know the reasons why a domestic abuse victim comes forward at a particular time. Have you ever been beaten by someone? Who are you to judge the time it may take for them to heal at least enough to tell their story?!
Why do you hat him. He didnt hit you!
Well, he didn’t hit me, either but as someone who has been at the end of the incoming fist, I can say I hate him. No, I don’t know him but my respect for any abuser, man or woman, is lost when I find out they’ve abused someone. NO ONE SHOULD BE AFRAID OF SOMEONE THEY LOVE OR BE AFRAID TO BE IN THEIR OWN HOME.
She seems like she really loves him, too bad all that had to happen. Hopefully the next girl he dates will be a black belt and show him a thing or two.
Thats a very ignorant statement. He’s apologized repeatedly to her & the interested public about his part. Besides he is a trained martial artist but he isnt trying to go there with another female..
It didn’t “have to happen.” He hit her. He made a choice. It’s not “something that happened.” It’s something he did.
She’s absolutely right about the fact that a lot of people are just ignorant.
Her telling her story will definitely inspire other women to think about coming forward.
I have a little sister who idolizes Rihanna, and because of this, she’s learned about domestic violence and about the fact that women shouldn’t put up with abuse. I guess to some of you, positively influencing today’s young women is a “worthless” cause.
No, its very commendable, but while she’s influencing, she needs to start wearing less revealing outfits. Young girl are very impressionable & need to understand abt dressing for success & respect. What she had on with this interview commands respect! She looked beautiful so she came across as believable & in control of her life.
It’s good that your old people’s home has the internet now.
Never thought about Rihanna. Don’t care. I’m 45. Mother of two children. Have no time for this junk. Watched 20/20 tonight and saw that young girl involved in that domestic thing and was absolutely glued to the television. Why? She was honest. Intelligent. Well spoken. Took a moment to THINK before she opened her mouth. She was respectful. It was a fascinating look into the life of a famous young person. I was very impressed with her. Have never heard a note of her music or that of her former boyfriend. For me, when she talked about the boyfriend acting as if he had nothing to lose, that said it all. I was just stunned by her intelligence and ability to clearly describe what is an all too common tragedy ….just amazed.
thank you for posting. interesting to hear an opinion from someone who doesn’t listen to their music.
I have never listened to either of their music but thought the same thing. She was very composed and didn’t trash him the way she could have. The bottom line is that he beat her bloody and there is no excuse or acceptable reason for that. I too was glued to the TV watching the interview and I hope that what she said will get someone in that same situation to say “enough, I’m out of here” and do what they can to stop an abuser. The fact that she didn’t back down, she followed through on the charges and was ready to go to court says a lot. I was surprised when she first went back to him and I am glad she explained that. I wish people would stop thinking she asked for it; no one, man or woman; asks to be beaten like that. I worked a hotline for several years for a “safe house” and the women I saw come in after being beaten bloody often thought they did something to cause it and would go back after a few days only to be back a month or two later more badly beaten than the last time. I will say this again and again; no one hits another person one time and never does it again…domestic violence increases with time.
I think it’s good she waited this long to sort things out and make these statements. Thank goodness she wasn’t dishing what happened 2 months after the fact, meanwhile sneaking off to his house behind closed doors. This feels honest. And I will never watch a program or buy merchandise with Chris Brown’s name attached.
It cracks me up when people claim that they would stop buying so-and-so’s work cause of their personal doings. What will the world be without forgiveness? Or better yet, without people judging others. We are NOT perfect. Being anonymous in front of our laptops does not make one invincible. We are humans. What Chris Brown did was unacceptable. But if he starts making great music again (which has done with “I Can Transform Ya”) than that’s not gonna stop me from liking or buying his music. I tend to separate the artist’s professional side from the personal side. Just because I bought CB’s music does not make me a #1 fan of Women’s Violence.
So according to you, we shouldn’t judge murderers, rapists, or abusers because “we are not perfect”?
How ridiculous.
Also, if Chris Brown makes “good music”, that somehow redeems him in your eyes?
It terrifies me that some people actually think like that.
You’re entitled to do whatever you want, but you defending someone who beats and chokes a woman, because “none of us are perfect”, makes me sick.
I have to say I tend to do the exact opposite. I feel like I ‘vote’ with my dollars and I would never support anyone financially, or otherwise, who exibited this kind of behaviour.
Good for Rhianna for coming forward and giving voice to these horrific acts of violence. DV acts are usually out of a need for power and control and in this interview she took her power back.
To the others on this board who want to silence women who have been abused….F**k you! Spend a day @ work with me in a DV shelter and open you mind.
You have every right to continue buying his music as this is a free country. As for forgiveness, yes I believe in it but it is not for me to forgive or not… only for Rhianna. For my part, I simply decide whether or not I want to continue financially supporting someone who has behaved in way that goes against my principles. I am not condemning him to hell or anything… just saying that I don’t think he deserves my hard earned money no matter how good his music is. There has never been an artist that the world would have shriveled up and dies without, so no, I do not feel guilty for deciding to no longer support his “art”. Celebrities play a game of needing public support (and cash) to sustain their careers. He has yours. He lost mine. Doesn’t make either one of us good, bad, right or wrong — just means that we are free to make a choice based on what we believe.
um…..did you say “what Chris Brown did was unacceptable.”? UNACCEPTABLE????? That’s like saying Katrina was a bad rain storm. WAKE UP. We can forgive those who are truly sorry and make restitution, but we do not EVER need to downplay the seriousness of their crimes, nor be ignorant enough to trust them again too quickly.
Sorry, you think “I Can Transform Ya” is a good song?
I think that explains everything.
why re u punishing his work as anartist, for what he does with his personal life? If Rihanna sises him success after what was done to her, why can’t you? It’s ur prerogative, just giving u food for thought…
Toree your food for thought is pure junk. Why *would* we reward a man who beats women with millions of dollars of our money as consumers, and chalk it up to supporting the arts? “What he does in his personal life” — are you kidding me? You’re giving every so-called artist an excuse for their bad, and in this case, deplorable and disgusting behavior. Or “ru 2″ blind to realize? Get your face out of your cell phone and think!
I will say that it seems that Rihanna didn’t hold back. She gained my respect with that. But she did lose A LOT of points with me for doing this interview so close to her album release and tour. How convenient. It just screamed “PUBLICITY STUNT” to me. But hey, it’s probably only me that thought that far.
Also, gotta give props to her marketing crew, publicity crew AND styling crew. You guys deserve a raise each day for your tremendous work of the brand that is “Rihanna”. God knows where this chick would be without that crew. Probably a one-hit wonder with no style.
What does her style have to do with the fact that she was abused?
I will never understand the random facts that some of you have tried to bring into this thread.
Anyways, back to the issue at hand.
Regardless of why she did this, does it even matter to you that a lot of young girls, and abused women, may gain the strength to come forward?
I guess you don’t care about trivial things like that.
I’m sure she touched alot of girls/women out there tonight with her story. There’s no denying it. But I will continue to say, if not for her album release coming in a few weeks, you guys would not have heard a PEEP from her. Period. This is a publicity stunt.
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Also, forgive me for my random thoughts. I tend to do that sometimes. It had nothing to do with the subject at hand. It wasn’t to discredit her plight. Not at all.
No, her style has nothing to do with her being abused but it does have a lot to do with public perception, i.e whether her story is believable or not. “Gothic” Rihanna would likely come across as being “dark” therefor deserving of abuse. Her appearance here is more “angelic” denoting truth, purity…just food for thought
You are correct no one deserves abuse from their dress appearance or any other factor; however no one deserves to listen at Rhi signing about killing herself! Double standards about to begin with her: yes I am happy she spoke about DV, what I am not happy about is her new single…well her songs for awhile Distubia and now this Russian Roulette! It’s dark music, regardless of the writer’s stance or purpose…it sends out bad messages to children and teens. She doesnt want a teen to get abused…I understand…but she is willing for them to play a game of Russian Roulette…I don’t understand! Now, Chris’ music is more positive. So yes i will listen to his music before playing her music.
Toree … what?? Someone who is “dark” is deserving of abuse? That’s absolutely ridiculous. And if any of you really think that it’s “too convenient” and a “publicity stunt” that Rihanna is speaking out so close to her album release … have you paid any attention to how the entertainment industry works? Any artist who is in any way involved in a scandal generally conducts interviews that will be pertinent to their career moves; give her a break. So Vivi, I hope you were being sarcastic when you said it was probably “only you” that thought that far.
You’re a real class act, Vivi. I hope you never find yourself in a situation requiring someone else’s sympathy.
Rihanna does get my sympathy. Even throughout the interview, I sympathized with her. She’s clearly still a girl in love with a boy who inflicted a lot of pain not only to her body but inside her body (soul/heart) as well. She deserves a HUGE amount of sympathy from America.
But I will continue to say, even though she finally told us what happened, her timing was all kinds of wrong. She wants sympathy from America in the wrong way: album sales & exposure & tour sales. It’s all about timing; her timing sucks.
It is painful to read how inhuman pretend to be when it comes to other peoples’ lives.
Strip away the fame , the money, the clothes, the timing of the interview etc and this is a young woman, 20 years old. Just like any other 20 year old struggling to find self. Those of us who are older should never forget what it was like.
She has gone through a lot in a short space of time. Even meteoric success can be traumatic!!!
btw I am amazed that she had the strength to even do another album so soon. Many a weaker soul would have curled up in self pity and done nothing for 5 years. Lets now see how the experience has affected her art.
She is a classic example of how not to focus on the fall but how to rise after the fall.
Kudos to Rihanna.
It’s because her album is coming out that she needs to talk about it. Promoting is a necessary evil whenever a new album, book, movie, whatever comes out. So is she supposed to avoid the issue while trying to promote her new album? How? Or maybe she should just become a hermit and forget she has an album to sell?
I think you are wrong. Yes, she does have an album coming out but I don’t believe she is using the interview to promote the album but rather because of the album coming out, she needed to address to the public what happened so she can get on with promotion of the album.
Did you ever think that because of the ongoing court case that she; as the victim; was not allowed to say anything until after the case was concluded which was very recently? That is something that victims are often told, you cannot talk about the case while it is being adjudicated; once he was sentenced that could mean she was allowed to finally speak.
I watched, and i thought it was a good interview. I thought she answered everything the best she could.
OH and to the idiots who keep saying she’s doing this because she has an album coming out, that’s obviously true, BUT Chris Brown has an interview on Mtv about it, and what do u know- HE has an album coming out to. Why dont u ever say anything about that?
Ugh anyway- it was a good interview, and i respect her for talking about it.
CB already did an interview. Months ago. With Larry King. His album is coming out in December. Rihanna’s album is coming out in a few weeks. Try again.
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Also, I’m quite miffed why people will resort to calling names when one doesn’t agree with his/her opinions. What are we? 12? Stop the madness.
According to your logic, you shouldn’t be pissed that people are “miffed”, since everyone is entitled to their opinions.
The madness here comes from the astounding number of people who try to defend a man who beat, punched, and choked a woman.
Some of the comments on here make me fear for society, and for the children of individuals who would rather have Rihanna stay silent than tell the truth.
I totally agree… Can’t we all just respect each other’s opinions and stop being self-righteous?
@Kara, this former couple, were definitely not the beginning & unfortunately not the end of domestic violence. However, unlike a lot of abusers, Chris has admitted & is seeking, (court appointed or otherwise) help for his problem. He also has publicly apologized. The details of how someone was abused, is not the point. Abuse can be as small as a pinch or a slap. Abuse can also be emotional…just food for thought
Abusers always apologize afterwards and women accept it, go back and the next time it is worse, again he apologizes and the next time is worse. They always apologize, I am glad he did; let’s just see if this ever happens again.
I am glad to hear Rihanna speaking up about what happened to her and about domestic abuse in general, whatever her reason for doing it at this particular time may be. I was also glad to hear her speak of Chris Brown’s inability or unwillingness to own his actions and take responsibility for them. He speaks of the incident as a “one time thing” and almost plays the part of a spectator. He clearly feels sorry for himself and has tried to paint himself as a victim. His publicly released remarks and answers during televised interviews are definitely not statements that a changed or newly enlightened man would make. I think what ultimately bothers me the most about Chris though, is that he has not acknowledged the brutality and severe violence of that night or his part in it. Rather, he has made every attempt to detach himself from that night, from that lack of control and from his abusive tendencies.
Well said. I’m proud of Rihanna. It takes a lot of strength to come forward. For many people, taking the secrecy of what happened by putting it out to the public, is a great form of moving on with healing from such a horrible peice of life. If you have not been through a traumatic or violent event, you have no idea what it does to you and your life. It can be debilitating. She is a very strong woman and I believe she is being up front and honest and trying to move on. Helping other women may help her heal by feeling like there is some good that is coming out of having gone through something so terrifying. She will likely go on to speak about domestic violence to people to help others from having to go through what she went through. I hope she does. Very admirable.
The ignorance of some of the people commenting is so sad. Rihanna is doing the right thing speaking out. Saying it’s only because of her album is pathetic. Do you honestly think she could have done any promotion without being asked about the beating? She gives this one important interview and doesn’t have to talk about it again.
That’s exactly what I was going to say. The woman has spent the last 9/10 months recovering from a very public and no doubt traumatising incident, making a new record and regaining her confidence. NO WAY would she be able to promote the album without the issue coming up, and I think that “her people” that some commenters refer to have advised her well. This interview can hopefully satiate everyone’s curiosity and Rihanna won’t have to mention it again.
Diane Sawyer did not mention that she slapped him before he shoved her in the previous incident. It is harmful the way society ignores the actions of women. It is true a man should not hit a woman under any cirumstance, but saying only that sends a message that it is okay for women to hit men. And while most women can’t do as much damage as a man, it can provoke a situation that could have been avoided. It is important to stress that no one should hit anyone. Male or female. We should send a complete message to a young girls. And please don’t twist my words. I am not saying a man is not at fault for retaliating, but everyone should be accountable for their actions. Two people can be wrong in a situation to different degrees.
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And those of you who think Chris Brown should not have a career, why should Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Mickey Rourke, Mike Tyson and the all the other celebrities who have been involved in domestic violence get their careers? I think Chris Brown’s actions were wrong and he has said so, and he is being punished for it. However he deserves a chance to redeem himself. I don’t think it is fair to make an example out of him and ignore the actions of all the other people who have done similar acts. I don’t see how you can make a strong case against domestic violence when you treat the abusers differently. Oprah had Mike Tyson on her show even after her harsh words for Chirs. Does not make sense.
The problem here is that you’re focusing on the wrong issue. In this case, it was RIHANNA not Chris Brown that ended up in the hospital.
If Chris Brown had ended up battered because of Rihanna, that would be just as wrong as this.
You are completely ignoring the facts of what happened here. Rihanna ended up COMPLETELY bruised and battered, because Chris Brown beat her, punched her, and slammed her head into a car.
Chris Brown was not the victim here, and the fact that you’re trying to portray him that way shows a lot of ignorance.
Also, I don’t even know why you’d bring those other individuals into the mix. We’re talking about Chris Brown, and regardless of what those other celebrities did, Chris abused Rihanna.
I was speaking about general situations and not just this incidence. And by the way, if ending up in the hospital is the only thing that indicates fault to you then you are the ignorant one. What is the point of talking about the issue if it does not benefit anyone. Go back and read when I said Chris brown actions were wrong I don’t need you to tell me. We have been saying Chris brown was wrong since february. But what you are telling me is that we should call chris brown out on his violence and not give a care about the other abusers. If you think domestic violence is so wrong why can’t you talk about other people. Were their actions not wrong too? Domestic violence does not involve only chris brown and rihanna, why should we speak of only them. Why should others get a pass and their career, they abused women too?
Your ignorance is seriously incredible.
How does talking about the issue not benefit anyone???
Do you know how many young girls and women will think about gaining the courage to come forward?
You are completely ignorant if you don’t realize that a celebrity talking about her abuse will give lots of others the courage to do the same.
LOL, you make no sense. What you’re saying is that right now, we should be talking about every single celebrity abuser who has ever lived?? THIS ARTICLE IS ABOUT CHRIS AND RIHANNA. Therefore, we are talking about Chris and Rihanna. It’s not that hard to understand.
Also, nobody should “get a pass” when it comes to this, and you suggesting that we should go easy on Chris because of other celebrities getting a “pass” is ridiculous.
Also, even today, Chris said that he thinks “Rihanna should have kept the details between them”
Clearly, both you and him think there is no “benefit” in a woman telling the truth about what happened to her.
Ama:
you should read this comment (posted by an ew.com user), which clearly shows how Rihanna coming forward has positively influenced others.
“Im 15 and just go out of a mentally, emotionally, and verbally abusive relationship. Rihanna is an impersonation to me as im sure she is to many other girls. I followed this story closely because i needed advise, and everything she said in that interview made since to me, and im so grateful she gave this interview”
“Your ignorance is seriously incredible.
How does talking about the issue not benefit anyone???
Do you know how many young girls and women will think about gaining the courage to come forward?”
Are you insane? You took that comment completely out of context. I made a general statement about domestic violence and Trisha made a comment that this issue is only about chris brown. And I was defending my previous comment by saying where I said we should send a complete message to young girls. You are so foolish it is insane. I never said talking about this issue does not benefit anyone. What I meant was the only reason to discuss this is to benefit others. You completely twisted my statements. So why would I say no one should hit anyone if that is not for the benefit of others.
It makes me so angry my words have been twisted. You can’t just read one line without taking into consideration that it is in response to someone else’s comment. I just want it to be clear. I NEVER said people should not come forward to speak. I meant there is no point to discussing this issue if it is not it is not going to benefit any one and that is why I . In fact I will share. I was involved in a domestic violence incident and that is why I wrote my first comment. I always thought it was okay to slap and hit guys because the only thing that is emphasised is that a man should not hit women back. And then my boyfriend retaliated. He hurt me much more than I could ever hurt him but that whole thing could have been avoided if i didn’t take it to the physical level. No one should hit anyone under any circumstance. There are many domestic violence cases that start like this but we don’t get to the root of the issue. (I am not refering to the Rihanna car incident before you all jump on me that she did not hit him first). I am just saying what is not being said. Chris Brown was wrong and deserve all the critism he has gotten, but the constant anger towards him does not solve anything. I think we as a society should focus on proactive solutions to domestic violence.
I got cut off…
I meant there is no point to discussing this issue if it is not it is not going to benefit any one and that is why I took the decided not to not just focus on the specifics of the Rihanna/Chris Brown incident, but something else that can also be beneficial.
“THIS ARTICLE IS ABOUT CHRIS AND RIHANNA. Therefore, we are talking about Chris and Rihanna. It’s not that hard to understand.”
We can talk about who ever we want. It is a free country. But I know you will never talk about the others because you all do not care that they abused other women. And by the way, this article is about Domestic violence so what is wrong in discussing other celebrities and domestic violence. It is all part of the issue.
“Also, nobody should “get a pass” when it comes to this, and you suggesting that we should go easy on Chris because of other celebrities getting a “pass” is ridiculous.”
I never said the chris should get a pass. I said what he did was wrong and he deserves his punishment. I believe he should get the help he needs and learn from this huge mistake. It is you that is giving the other celebrities a pass, I am calling them out. I am sure you are boycotting chris brown music but you see the movies and projects of other abusers. Hypocrite. If you believe abuse is so serious why can’t we also talk about the others. You know you will not say anything about them later. You will treat them like they did nothing wrong.
Everyone is focusing on the physical features of abuse and not the emotional factors, when the emotional factors are the long lasting ones, with the exception of stabb wounds, etc. Chris should not get excused for what happened on that night, but if there was ever a time where Rhi hit him before this incident without him hitting her, that first hit opened the door for DV to play in their relationship. visa versa! So no he should not have beat her but if she hit him as he drove…it could have caused him to react by hitting her. Their relationship as she stated was equally dangerous. What does it mean? Was there ever a time before with fights between them, from both parties. It was an obsession…from who…he was cheating and she kept asking him about the text message from the female! I can remember pics of Chris and a new woman being posted on the net stating that his relationship with Rhi could potential be over…as well as other blogs posted stating that Rhi hit Chris…These incidents were posted before that night! That relationship was doomed for diaster and they are unhealthy for one another….as she stated it was unconditional love and they fell fast. From the media, Chris was moving on from Rhi and I don’t think she could handle it, which is why she kept on him that night and possible more. Many rumors came out about her hitting him with a stiletto and if true, than its natural for someone to react after getting hit with a sharp pointy device.
I feel sorry for a society to think DV period, whether if the woman or male is the abuser, is acceptable! So its okay for a woman to hit a man, but if a man hits a woman, he needs to be punished to the max! Well what about the woman? Its the same thing as saying that a woman can rape, murder and not have the same standards as the man. Wrong is wrong…not matter how big or small you are or your gender. There are incidents where woman do begin the abuse and men do not response to it automatically which fuels the abuse on more becuase the men get labeled weak; however the moment when the man who accepted the abuse and has never laid a hand on the female has finally beat the hell out of that female then he is wrong! What about the female??? Double standards! Chris did do something wrong, I hope no one is trying to excuse him for his behavior. But there is more to this relationship that remains their little secret and I hope that they can recover from it not to make the same mistakes. What makes some people wonder is if Rhi has ever taken the role of the abuser. Both are young and i hope can recover from this without stones being thrown at them.
There are many people who are abused at the hands of political figures, lawyers, doctors, church leaders, drug dealers, bums, etc….the DV incident with Rhi and Chris is not new and should not get looked at differently because they are entertainers and should know better…Who taught him not to hit a woman when thats all that he witnessed? He was 19 y/o, he is immatured and that’s okay becuase its apart of life cycle…woman mature faster than men, esp at the age…so yes rhi will appear more mature….Support Chris and Rhi to help them overcome DV so they will not keep going through DV past a certain age. And i commend the both fr their efforts to discuss the issues, it was not for Chris to give the full details, esp since Rhi appeared to have been the victim. What Chris stated was that he supports Rhi decision to discuss the matters however he will keep the details private. This subject is touchy esp in the limelight of the public because so many are insensitive and other factors could have played into their situation….I don’t know why the public needs to know the details behind that night. Rhi does not need to explain in full details what occurred that night to be a spokeperson of DV, and neither does Chris. To be a spokeperson can be as simple as stating that I have experienced abuse and what steps were not to place themselves in that situations again as well as the emotion that were felt. The details of he received a text to I kept asking him about it is not needed becuase like myself, other people minds may wonder into what is irrelevant.
@AMA, TOUCHE’, ur points are well taken. Its very obvious that people aren’t reading or understanding ur points. Perhaps they are looking for reasons to bundle all abusers (esp. Chris,) in one category & set them on fire with hate. Additionally, hate and/or not supporting the abusers efforts to seek help for healing themselves of this illness, shouldn’t call for us abandoning them. By doing this, we’re simply “feeding fires” that’s already burned out of control. Who does that benefit? NO ONE! Who does that hurt? ANYONE! Like Rihanna says, anyone can be victim..
I couldnt have said it better myself… A man should NEVER hit a woman but its not ok for women to hit men either!!!
Ama, it’s okay when they do it. Do see how they ignore you when bring up all those other guys. Hell, Sean Connery went on television twice, and said, he has nothing against men who slap women, but do you hear them saying “Sean Connery should lost his career?” HELL TO THE NO!
*snaps fingers*
Whatever her “motives” are, this interview took some serious GUTS. Boy, I am very impressed. She put herself OUT THERE and stood up for herself. It is easy to make excuses, to hide and be quiet. But it takes strength to speak out and say “eff the detractors, this is my life and I am in control”. And to think she is only 21. Geez, it takes women years to say that this happened to them. GOOD FOR HER!
AGREED!!!
At least her interview was more mature than Chris Brown’s MTV interview. He was slouched in his seat, pants sagging, and couldn’t even say a complete sentence. He kept saying you know, yeah, um. He showed no maturity. He hasn’t learned his lesson at all. Yeah Ri Ri’s album is coming out. And of course you have to do press to sell your albums. SO it’s better for her to get this big elephant out the room now so she can do press for her album and this subject not be bought up.
Wait is it me or did I here rihanna say chris never hit her before,if this was his first time hitting her,then I think he readly make a big mistake.both are in my prayers.
Uhm, are u saying he made a big mistake by not hitting her other times?
I don’t think we need to have any sympathy for Chris Brown and giving an abuser some slack because you believe others have gotten off more easily in the past, is a good enough reason to “let up: on him. Time will tell how he chooses to change himself and his life for the better. I certainly don’t have to like or respect him ever again if I so choose.
Do you respect Sean Penn and the others? I don’t know how you can take a stand against one person and not the others. It makes you a Hypocrite. I am not asking for anyone to give him a break or sympathy. He put himself in this situation. He is serving his punishment but the constant anger towards him does nothing. No one is giving him the chance to change. You don’t have to respect him but you can give constructive critism that will not only help him but other people.
So proud of rihanna for telling the truth. Most women would have lied. People stop making excuses for chris what he did was wrong.
I completely agree.
I just read that Chris Brown wishes that Rihanna would have “kept the details between them.”
He, like many commenters on this website, seems to believe that women who are abused should just keep the abuse to themselves.
We have to understand his mentality i.e coming from a home in which his mom was the victim of dv but stuck with her abuser for @least 4 yrs. He’s said that he & his sister used to beg her to leave but she wouldn’t. Also, her sister Christine says that his mom never dealt with the dv but only put it in Gods hands, which is cool & Im sure it brought her some solace, but what abut her children? So u see, there are underlying psychological effects for his behavior that he is finally getting professional help for…just food for thought
Love her. Loved the interview. BUT… what was going on with her hair?
As far as rihanna’s new album that’s getting ready to come out, did anyone ever think that maybe her album is partly inspired by what happened to her. Maybe she is coming forward now to show people what her frame of mind is now, so that we will get more of an idea of how mature she is now. Also, i’m sure she has a deep need to let everyone know what her position is on this situation. So far we have only heard the little bits that chris brown has said, I think her side of it is well overdue. I personally commend he for being brave enough to even talk about it.
Im 15 and just go out of a mentally, emotionally, and verbally abusive relationship. Rihanna is an impersonation to me as im sure she is to many other girls. I followed this story closely because i needed advise, and everything she said in that interview made since to me, and im so grateful she gave this interview
Hope you meant “inspiration”. Wishing you the best.
Most women never speak about being abused,because of the embarassment and humilitation they feel,as pointed out by Rihanna.I am happy she finally spoke out about the incident. I think she was very articulate and balance in her view of the situtation,she did not bash him.She spoke from the heart.
I feel bad for what happened to Rihanna, b/c nothing should lead ot that kind of violence…but who the heck dressed her for the interview?? She looks like she came from the Predator movies
That was mean Chris =(
her new songs are BAD!!!! Not good…..poison to my ears. AND THAT HAIR!????? REALLY??? She’s lost it. COMPLETELY.
And i agree her songs are in a dark place now…she is in a different place in her life….I hope she does not pull the trigger. Understanding her dv issues, she is sending a bad message out about suicide with russing roulette. I have to turn the radio station whenever it comes on because it is depressing! No one contemplating suicide needs to listen to the song or even be made aware of it. She is taken a stance on DV for young women but she needs to be mindful of what other messages she is sending out….it’s okay to pull the trigger into your brain!
Interesting. Rihanna has become less of a performer and more of an artist. This is a painful period for her and her fans.
But can we get past her hair and clothes for now? Jeez.
Chris Brown is not a man. Regardless if whether a woman tried to provoke a man, a REAL man does not hit a woman, PERIOD.
So women can hit men? Don’t put your period there. You need to add that women should not hit men too. We can’t cause as much harm, but no type of violence should be introduced in a relationship. It could start a slide down a slippery slope. We need to send a complete message. No type of violence should be acceptable. We know a real man will try to get away, stand still or defend himself without hitting when a woman is attacking him but you won’t know who is real man or not until you are in the bad situation. No one should be hitting anyone. (I am not refering to the Rihanna car situation since she said she did not hit him first. Just to be clear) And yes, Chris is definately not a real man.
i think if my man got a nasty text from some strawberry ,,i may have smacked him as well.
What was sad to me was Rihanna comment saying that if she would have hit CB first then he shouldn’t hit her back. But everyone is saying that she was mature please… I laugh my ass off because I think she is full of shit. And yes I still believe she hit him first. And the women need to if you don’t want to be hit then you need to hit either. I a lot of these comments are so bi-standard and yes I have been in an abusive relationship where we both were doing the hitting mainly me hitting first and that wasn’t right when I did it. I feel like instead of her talking to Diane Sawyer she needs to be going to DV shelters and talking to them she is only focusing on young girls but women and men of all ages deal with DV.
Well you shouldn’t. You should treat people the way you want to be treated. There is never a need to smack anyone. Just walk away from the relationship
@Roger, please stop attributing abusive behavior to not being a man as if “real” don’t display aggressive behavior. Perhaps additional research on ur part would help u understand that abuse is not gender or age specific…just food for thought
So can you reach out to him to teach him that the DV issues his mother faced by her husband was inappropriate behaviors. So you are partially right, he is not a real man being that he was 19 y/o when the incident occurred, he is a young male in need of a support system to address DV.
@Roger. Do you know any 19 yr old boys? Have you talked to one recently? If you have you’d know that 99% of them could not be considered “men” at that point in life. CB is still a boy. I don’t like Rhianna or her music. But I am glad that spoke out about what happened to her and I hope that she gets real help for it because I got the impression that she’s getting good COACHING but not help. I also hope the same for CB and I hope that people will allow him to grow up and actually become the man that people feel he should already be.
No one, man or woman, should lay a hand on another person. If she had done that to him she should be prosecuted. And if she slapped him, so what, she didn’t deserve to be beaten bloody and bruised no mater what she did. No one deserves that.
well my intake on the whole situation is simply be careful wat u wish for. she wanted love so bad she got plus much more. although i would highly recommend every woman or young girl if you feel were love is takin over so much dat u accept mental, physical, or verbal abuse from a man then u should really talk to someone. as far as their careers both of them are young hot n talented neither of their careers will be ending very soon. u cant just take one person side only because they are the one who has the scars at the end of a fight because they both showed ignorance by being in public and showin lack of respect for each other. women if u feel like you r bein over ruled by a man get out of the relationship y u can. men if u feel like you r bein pushed to do harm to woman just get out of the relationship while u cam. the best of luck to both celebs may god give both of u courage to deal with the constant drama n comments because they will forever as long as ppl are around.
Not only is your sentiment ignorant – you’re basically saying that Rihanna deserved to get beaten because she desired love (as every human being does) – but your grammar, spelling, etc., are almost unintelligible. Your “intake” on the situation? Do you honestly think that makes sense? I would be very saddened if this post was typed by an adult.
ugh, you guys… this interview obviously has to do with the fact that rihanna’s album is coming out. but nonetheless, she was pressured into talking about this personal issue. she hasn’t given interviews since the incident happened, but she knew she was going to have to give interviews re: her new album. and obviously, the question of the abuse that took place would become the elephant in the room. if she didn’t talk about it, she would become the archetype of the “silent victim.” so i’m glad she chose to speak up about it and be a role model — i don’t think she is doing this for publicity, i think she doesn’t want to the role model for this… but because of the publicity involved, she had to.
yes! how could she NOT talk about it with an album coming up?
I feel Rihanna did not tell the complete truth. I feel she severely provoked Chris into hitting her. She is now coming forward to promote her new album !!!!
It’s voodoo………..you can’t tell me she doesn’t know some kind of witchery from living over there! The truth will come to light one day! Let’s just hope Usher know’s what he’s getting into if after his divorce he dates her!
Wow. Over there where? Barbados? In my 40+ years I’ve live there (Barbados), here (North America) and everywhere.
Deep inside people are all the same. That is truth. No need to wait for “one day” my friend.
Severly provoked? Wow. I guess when I got hit by my husband, I provoked him by not making his eggs right. Or maybe the time I chose to go work OT for bills instead of cleaning house, I provoked him. Or when I asked him how his work day was when he got home? Ka-pow! Punch to the face. What does that tell you? Seriously, think about it. You’re dealing with someone who has so little control over his anger that there is no way you can avoid “provoking” him. There is no dealing with an illogical, irrational person.
how would you know that she provoked him??
you can not “severly provoke” someone to hit you. They are either the type of person who beats you until your face is unrecognizable, or they aren’t. period.
So she provoked him into beating her? No matter what she did, no one deserves what he did to her. Have you seen the pictures???? Work for a while with victims of domestic abuse and then tell me someone deserves it.
Or, better yet, watch the movie The Burning Bed; which is totally based on a true story of domestic abuse that started with a slap and ended up with so much violence that the only way the woman thought she could get out of it was by killing her abuser. Check the statistics of how many women are in prison for killing their abusers. I was married for 21 years to a man who passed away and if one time he had ever laid a hand on me I would have been out of their and prosecuted him in a heartbeat. No one, no one deserves or asks to be beaten like she was. There is no excuse for him for what he did and he got off easy; he should have gotten jail time.
I have to say that although I did NOT read all of the comments posted here, many of you have showed complete and utter ignorance to this situation.
I myself was in an identical relationship where this had happened to me around 7 or 8 times and in February it was the worst one of them all. It is amazing how much our stories are alike and I must say in a very weird way I found comfort knowing I wasn’t going through this horrible time alone. You guys can continue to say it all has to do with her album release…which may or may not be true (who am I to judge), but it took me MONTHS to finally feel comfortable in my own skin again…let alone open up to anyone about it. I think it shows GREAT courage for her to open up about it…not only for herself, but for those out there going through similar situations. I can say full-heartedly that I personally was very ashamed and blamed myself when I went through it back in Feb and up until recently I had very low self confidence and lost who I was. It sickens me to hear the negativity of these comments. I have NOTHING but sheer respect and adoration for Rhianna at this point and if I am being honest I wasn’t and have not even been that big of a fan of her music. She has shown great courage and maturity and I really think a lot of you should put yourself in someone elses shoes for 5 mins and think about how you would feel if it was happening to you or a loved one….how would you deal? how long would it take you to recover? because if you are being honest and realistic…I think you would find yourself in a similar time frame.
Been there done that, and it made me a stronger person. I don’t and won’t go into details about my endeavers, but I can’t feel sorry for anyone that stays in an abusive relationship b/c they think they’re in love! Does she even know what love is? Real Love? Who falls in love that quickly? A man is like a car, you need to do your work b/4 getting involved! Now, I’m not saying that what Chris did was right, but if you can’t help yourself how do you expect someone to help you? I have mixed feelings about Rihanna and the “story” that she told! Someone coached her very well……..but that’s just my opinion!