Rihanna was all over the news last week because of her in-depth interview with Diane Sawyer. The clips shown on Good Morning America were fairly devastating. Rihanna came across as a young woman who had learned some valuable lessons about self-respect, violence and her position as a role model for young women. She also recalled her vivid memory of being beaten by Chris: “He had no soul in his eyes. Just blank. He was clearly blacked-out. There was no person when I looked at him.”
While Rihanna’s interview dominated the news, it seemed to many (me) that it would have been wise for Chris to simply give Rihanna the week. He should have disappeared, gone on vacation, or stayed home and played video games for a several days. Anything but appear before MTV for a series of disgustingly ridiculous interviews, the latest of which came on Friday, in which Chris said that Rihanna should have kept all of the beat down “private”. Seriously:
When MTV News correspondent Sway spoke with Chris Brown on Monday for “Chris Brown: The Interview” and addressed Rihanna’s upcoming “20/20” sit-down — portions of which have already aired on “Good Morning America” — the “Forever” singer said he was confident that he had come clean about everything and there was nothing that could be said by his former girlfriend that would make him nervous.
“Honestly, because I have expressed my wrongs and there is nothing that could come out that’s like, ‘OK, this is something totally different than what we know,’ ” he told MTV News when asked. “I basically expressed how I feel, basically said what I’m wrong for.”
Brown contacted MTV News on Friday (November 6) to issue a statement about the portions of Rihanna’s interview that have emerged since that interview. He reiterated his stance on maintaining the pair’s privacy, but he also supported Rihanna’s decision to speak out about what occurred that February night. Brown wished Rihanna the best and once again admitted his mistake.
“While I respect Rihanna’s right to discuss the specific events of February 8, I maintain my position that all of the details should remain a private matter between us,” he said in the statement. “I do appreciate her support and wish her the best. I am extremely sorry for what I did, and I accept accountability for my actions. At this point, I am taking the proper steps to learn about me and grow from my mistakes. I only hope that others in similar situations can learn from our experience as well. Abuse of any kind is always wrong. The rest I leave it to God.”
[From MTV]
It’s like this kid has absolutely no shame, no sense of hypocrisy, no sense of real remorse. This is the same Chris Brown who went on Larry King and talked about how he didn’t even remember beating the hell out Rihanna. This is the same Chris Brown who went out partying in the aftermath of the beating. Ugh.
Meanwhile, Chris Brown’s apologists are still in action. The website Tash (“Hip, Urban ‘n Chic”) pointed out that “Chris Brown’s friends are backing him 100% and calling her a liar, hannarihanna and more.” They pulled several commenters defense of Chris – much of it I have no desire to publish (you can see a select few here), but the gist of which is that Rihanna is spreading “bullcrap” and that Chris’s career “ain’t ova”. Seriously. So much for a teachable moment.
Chris Brown is photographed performing during Power 105.1’s “Powerhouse” at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey on October 27, 2009. Credit: FAME.
that’s what she did the previous times he smacked her — she kept it secret. all abusers want you to keep the abuse secret so that they can protect their public images.
Chris has sooooo far to go. he seems to have learned nothing. i hope his career goes up in flames and never ever ever recovers.
Well Chris the idea of her talking wasnt to say YOUR side again, as you so many times have, but to say HER side.
Who cares whether you already said what you thought; sh has a right to speak too regardless of whether you appreciate what comes out of her mou— oh wait, let me say, regardless of whether you dont like seeing and hearing about YOUR OWN ACTIONS.
Shouldnt that tell you something? Doesnt that mean you are ashamed of yourself and just tryign to project it onto her and hate her in your place?
If you really understood a thing here, or about people and relationships in general, you would understand that OTHER PEOPLES FEELINGS matter and you would let them do what they need to do to move on from the harm you caused them….[selfish twit!!]
I’d like to point out to those Chris Brown apologists that Rihanna directly addressed the RUMORS that she put her hands on him first. First of all, these assclowns who say they read the police report are liars. I did read it.It’s over at The Smoking Gun. There is ZERO mention of her being physical whatsoever. Secondly, she said that never once did she strike him. The argument was verbal only until Chris Brown decided to start punching her and choking her.
Rihanna said anyone who perpetuates this FALSE story does so out of ignorance. She is absolutely correct. Wake up idiots. This wasn’t her fault. Your “golden boy” is a big bully who gets off on hurting people smaller and weaker than him.
@MSat and Chica…right on to your comments. Very well said, both of you.
I hate Chris Brown for all the obvious reasons and one that might seem funny.
I love his song “Forever” and now it will always be ruined because it’s linked forever with this scumbag.
Rihanna’s statement that he “had no soul” in his eyes when he beat her really resonated with me. It reminded me of a study done a few years ago with spousal abusers in prison. They found that while re-creating and talking about the beatings the blood pressure and heart rates of the abusers remained within normal range and that they stated they weren’t angry while engaged in beating their partners. Chris Brown needs serious help not defenders in the media. He has shown that he still does not understand the seriousness of his actions by his demeanor and statements. Isolation and secrecy are the tools of abusers and he continues to try and use them regarding Rhianna’s comments.
I’ll be he wishes she had, poor, entitled, uneducated idiot. His putting-out-the-fire media tour failed, and her speaking honestly put her back at the top (I was thoroughly disgusted with her until her interview).
Let’s just hope the brother or friends of the next woman he beats gives him a taste of his own medicine. Then he *might* be able to really cry “victim”.
Small poiny,but Chris Brown is still unable to man-up and acknowledge what he did to “her”. He is still depersonalizing what he did. So sad. Hopefully he will grow up with the help of his family and a new set of friends. Most disheartning to me still were his mothers comments. As a woman that was abused herself according to her son, she still cannot acknowledge abuse for what it is. Loving your child has nothing to do with acknowledging their rights and wrongs.
And, couldn’t it be that the people who defend Chris Brown come from a morally and socially reactionary culture in which women are, indeed, viewed as lesser beings? Whenever you see the treatment that hip hop/urban artists make of women, it is difficult not to be appalled. They are rendered utterly powerless besides being attractive enough to be desired by men, and that’s the deepest representation of femininity they make.
Even women themselves, like Beyoncé, represent women as being emotionally dependent on men. If you listen to their songs, they seem to think that being independent is earning lots of money while having a guy who pays for everything and treats you well because with him, you’re a caricature of Doris Day.
Maybe this is why Chris Brown feels that he hasn’t done anything wrong, and people in that environment are criticizing Rihanna for (finally) denouncing his abuse. Because, probably, for them this is something completely normal and even acceptable… Like in the 1950s.
How sad it is that Rihanna is being further victimized by those who should be most appalled that this has happened to a young and innocent girl, that most likely put up with it for so long because she was in love.
Also, the fact that his career isn’t over AT ALL is effing disgusting.
Chris Brown only wants Rhianna to keep the details of that night private because he loses more and more fans every time she talks about it.
He’s probably never going to realize the full depth of his actions until he’s at rock bottom, with no fans and no money and no record company that’ll touch him with a ten-foot pole. And really, that day can’t come soon enough. Though even then, I’m sure he’ll still think all his misfortune is Rhianna’s fault, if only she hadn’t opened her mouth.
I am sure he does want the matter kept private!
La Chica put it perfectly.
Sorry Chris, breaking the law is never a private matter.
I love the fact that this maggot’s popularity and career are tanking.
That blue tie, sweater and mom ensemble he was working on LKL said all I needed to “hear” that this loser only cared about his image -and not about his loss/absence of humanity.
I love seeing a scumbag hit the pavement hard. Does us all good.
The idiot said, “I do appreciate her support and wish her the best.”
Say wha?
and..
“The rest I leave it to God.”
Oh please you putz, pulling out the God card gets you nowhere.
Pont Neuf, I agree with you. His behavior is tragic and wrong, but not surprising.
Sorry Chris, but she has an album to sell and going on national tv during sweeps month with her story is a good way to sell it. Oh, thats right, she is doing it to be a “role model”
Gee, if I am not mistaken, Chris Brown also has a CD out and was doing the “I am sowwy” tour waaaay before Rihanna.
Keep on defending and making excuses for the low life, piece of trash that he is.
I hope she DOES sell a hell of a lot of CD’s based on this interview. I hope she makes money, I hope she becomes even more visible and famous than she ever was before. I hope she takes full advantage of the situation. I hope Chris Brown and his CD tank and he gets to watch his career go down the drain and see her star rise!
He looks like Wayne Brady in that photo
That being said, until we teach women to be vocal, this will continue. We are taught tp “sit pretty” “talk pretty” “dress pretty” etc. Sometimes you have to fight back – but we’re never told that. We don’t hear “It’s ok to stand up for yourself. Fight claw scream – don’t let someone hurt you – even if he says he loves you. Especially if he says he loves you.”
We need to teach girls that this isn’t love, the guy isn’t protecting you, it’s abuse.
Many men do not get it and he is one of them. He just keeps getting worse and worse and worse. Where does he go from here? Nowhere.
Skins, I think she had to do the interviews. With an album coming out, she had publicity tours and interviews planned. This was going to be the one questions over and over she would be asked. I think it was best to address the attack, say her part, get it over with and move on. I doubt we will hear anything more from her on the subject.
I thought the interviews reflected a genuinely thoughtful person with a lot of insight. It was obviously difficult for her. I felt a great deal of respect for her after listening.
Also, am I the only one who missed it, but has anyone ever seen any soul in CB’s eyes?
Sorry skins – you are completely in the minority here. Keep on backing and making excuses for this piece of shit – you’re gonna be the only one. Maybe you guys can hang out. Maybe you can hold the shovel for him during his community service when he sees the photogs and needs to fix his hair or something….
chris brown is the definition of a low life.
He disgusts me.
It’s ridiculous that he’s saying she should have kept it private! This douche has learned nothing. Talking about abuse is how victims reclaim their lives! If he bothered to go to real counseling (not his pastor!) he would have known this.
I hope his tour tanks and he continues to lose fans. He doesn’t deserve any success.
With abusers, it’s ALL ABOUT THEM and their precious widdle egos. Not impressed.
And I’m sure she wishes he’d never beaten her. dumbass
Maybe Homeboy should become an officer in Scientology. He could administer the beat down with no repercussions.
He’s a total lowlife abuser.
He’s displaying classic abuser behavior too. Keeping the abuse between the two of them allows it to continue. Once someone else knows about it, it’s harder for the abuser to continue controlling the abused.
I had a friend who was dating a drug dealer and serial liar. He never beat her, but he emotionally abused the hell out of her, telling her she was nothing to him but then turning right around and saying he’d die without her. He’d tell her to lose weight, dress “better”, put more make-up on…then call her a slut right in front of all of her friends for dressing like a “whore”.
She finally broke up with him after that incident and only because we were all there to witness it. He slipped up. And he got pissed at US and starting calling all of us saying that we ruined something “beautiful” because my friend couldn’t keep their relationship between the two of them.
Abusers thrive on keeping their abuse away from the scrutiny of other people and Chris is trying to guilt her right now and make her feel bad about telling her story even after he’s already told his. I seriously just want his label to drop him and I wish no one went to his concerts. I hope he fades away into nothing.
Just one question: Doesn’t this boy have a manager? Somebody?
Surely someone should be smacking him on the nose with a rolled up newspaper when he says the trash?
His career may not be over, but until it is he will be more famous for being a woman beater than a musician.
Really Chris?
Should she have kept it private before or after you hit up the talk show circuit, various radio shows, and posted numerous videos on YouTube?
I hope she screams her story from rooftops for the next year. Shit like this continues BECAUSE people keep their mouths shut or blame the victim for stirring up trouble or trying to get attention. I’ve seen it in my own family and this is just another sad example. I don’t know what’s more appalling, Chris’ behavior or the fact that the Hip Hop “community” chose to react to such an act of violence with apathy at best, or support at worst.
What the hell kind of message are you sending young women in the ghetto when you offer an abusive man “prayers and support”?- You’re basically saying- “Get over and shut up it because no one gives a shit about you.”
It’s absolutely tragic and disgusting.
What a wimp.
I bet he wants to keep it quiet. He still does not get it does he.
Of course he wants to keep it private. And how stupid is he for continuing to talk about it and saying stuff like that? The problem is, this wasn’t a disagreement or couple’s issue, he committed a CRIME when he hit her, so sorry, his privacy is out the window.
Of course his friends are supporting him 100% and calling her a liar – they don’t want to p*ss off their meal ticket!
Wait, Chris has talked, finding ways to excuse his behavior (I don’t remember it, I’m sorry, let’s move on, blah-God-blah-blah,). And, she had to talk at some point, too. The media has been up her a** about it since it happened. That tells me that Chris is still a control-freak who is trying to dominate her from afar. He is not reformed and not sorry at all, in my opinion.
Typical women beater. I feel sorry for his next girlfriend already…
For someone who seems pretty well-spoken, I’m surprised that she was even able to hold a conversation with that mouth-breathing troglodyte.
And I am SO DAMNED SICK of this ‘young, hip urban (i.e. ‘black’)’ mentality that shows ‘support’ by re-inscribing and re-affirming all of the worst stereotypes about young black people, then cries ‘foul’ when some interloper–or whatever–has the gall to ‘air the dirty laundry’. You know what? Why don’t you just wash the freaking laundry, huh? And how exactly does operating under the gross misapprehension that ‘praying on it’ will magically transform the facts and disavow a perpetrator of all culpability? Proclamations of faith as an escape hatch are so disgusting. Where is all of this prayer when you’re justifying the most abhorrent of behaviours? Jesus has become a P.R. Firm and it seems so disingenuous.
If you support the kind of thinking that allows this to happen, you are more than complicit in the systematic dismantling of anything resembling progress for women, for other blacks, and for free-thinking people who don’t revert into reptilian base carnality whenever the ‘wind looks at you weird’, or what-have-you.
When you make all of your decisions based on ethnocentric self-interest, you’re not helping us, and that attitude does not speak for me. I speak for me. How can people see that a ‘community’ (because there’s only one type of black person, whatever, not the point) has anything going for it other than being a plodding, unthinking, undifferentiated monolith when the real issues are being obscured by our men and women flinging invective and bile at each other? Hiding behind the community when caught with your pants down, how novel. At this point the only thing that is being ‘given back’ to the community is a myriad of embarrassments: um, keep them.
This the same thing that bothered me so much about the Emma Thompson, Roman Polanski fiasco. Rather than actually use her brain, she acted along party lines, freely admitting that she had no real knowledge of the facts. Then she changes her mind, not because she smartened up, but because of a new wave of peer pressure and an attempt to save face. Hell, Emma! Are you seven years old?!? No one’s blameless, I could fill a warehouse with my faults, and I found that story about her son to be exceedingly beautiful. But this? At least she’s doing the right thing, I’ll vouch for that.
Crime is crime, and contractual obligations will drain your account SUBSTANTIALLY if not honoured. These interviews were bound to happen. At any rate, he is the one who committed the crime, and he was the one who bucked common decency (even more), by turning her ordeal into a fairground attraction. Why should she be the one who is contrite? Why is the one who should seeking absolution? From what? What’s next? ‘Oh, well that girl who got raped deserved it because she was wearing tight jeans, and those are kind of hard to remove anyway, right?’ NO!
Well, he may have had her mind in a vice for a time, but not mine, and not of the intelligent people who refuse to be agents of destruction. I hope that he gets it together and some day looks back on his actions and statements and realizes he was being a petty, self-involved, ignorant fool. Don’t we have to put up with enough garbage? What manner of agency is this? This goes beyond ‘Judge not…’, because this isn’t just an instance of infantile squabbling. There are lives on the line, including his. And if anyone who claims to be a fan of his thinks that the best way to help him is by watching him jet-ski into perdition, then this will just turn into a battle of attrition between ideologies.
Sometimes help hurts, and real self-improvement is rarely fun, but I don’t believe that it is in the spirit of grace to claim that ‘not judging’ is somehow preferable to holding him accountable for his actions, and presenting a situation in which he–of his own volition–is forced to evolve or die, metaphorically speaking. He’s young, there’s still time. Do we want him to be in a position where he can realize his potential and become the man he’s meant to be, a functioning member of society, the one who breaks the cycle of abuse and develops a viable personality? Or should the powers that be let him sputter and flame out like the prissy little island of detached entitlement that he is now? I really do think that this widespread revulsion is good for him, not just because it means that we will not a party to this kind of madness, but because the work that he does not earn the trust and respect of those who cross him will be the work of real man who was humbled, illuminated and dogged in his pursuit of the best version of himself. If he wins it…
Cut the braggadoccio, cut the sexism, cut out any word that ends with ‘phobia’, address the ongoing schism between black men and women, and don’t give the naysayers fodder. If this blue sky is meant to be red, don’t complain to me about it, grab a paintbrush, and do the work. Seriously, how is this sending a positive message to ANYONE? If you want a high-quality companion, you have to be one first. I have to say, I’m veering sharply into the ‘quit playing house and do your homework’ territory. I’ve been physically, psychologically abused, not by a boyfriend, but I know the feeling of isolation, the fear, the misguided guilt and the self-loathing that accompanies it. One day, after putting for the effort to heal, you realize that the only way that a person can make you feel bad for being who you are is if you give them permission to do so. The cycle of abuse has a sick, punishing hold, even for erstwhile survivors and every step of your life is viewed through the lens of personal experience. I don’t know what abusers feel. I don’t know if they understand or feel guilt. I don’t know what kind of pain resides within them, and I don’t know why they do a lot of what they do. But I know that that doesn’t matter, not when you throw yourself to them with all you’ve got, knowing that they are not suitable stewards. But that takes time to learn and parse.
These are the years to learn how to be an adult, not to debase yourself in a distorted pantomime.
Moral: Stop beating people up, fools!
Just like Paris Hilton, he’s someone you never want to hear about again. But of course he’s much much worse. And MTV is glamorizing what he did by giving him more fame. Gross.
Let me get this straight, Chris Brown can do interviews and dress like a little preppy high school kid on Larry King sitting next to his mommy to act like he’s a nice guy and tell his side of the story yet she can’t tell hers? Give me a break. What a loser. I’m so proud of Rihanna.
How nice that he keeps popping up and parroting the predictable abuser sh*t. He continues to cook his own goose, doesn’t he?
Good.
Ok so let me get this straight, he can do interview after interview and get as much publicity as he wants over the “incident” while the entire time Rhianna maintains a dignified silence, but she can’t come out after an apropriate amount of time since that night and explain her side of things???? In the clips that I have seen, she doesn’t even make Chris look like a villan!! For a guy who likes to beat up women she is quite kind in the way that she describes the event and how she feels about him now!!! She was very diplomatic in what she said. I would have just said that mother f!cker beat the living sh!t out of me and then used it as a career tool!!! But she took the high road and only talked about her and how she’s made it something positive. He’s such a hypocrite and a total douch. I feel ashamed that I ever bought his album.
You know what should have remained private? His music.
It’s the most fake, impersonal apology I’ve ever heard. the “I am extremely sorry for what I did, and I accept accountability for my actions” sounds like somebody is telling him, much like a small child, to apologize for something not because he believes he did something wrong, but because it is expected of him.
How is he accepting any accountability for his actions? He thinks it is all about him and his ego. Newsflash: It isn’t!
He’s sorry for what he did? How about, I’m sorry for what I did TO YOU RHIANNA”.
this guy is digging his own grave…
how about a sincere apology first, chris?
i give props to rihanna for speaking out.
Soz i tried 2 kill u, lols. l8ter h8ter!
the media is only flocking to rihanna’s side because she’s female. there were reports of her kicking his ass for 2 years before the incident back in february and no one cared. I’m not saying what he did is right but there is no way that she is innocent of any wrong doing. even still she only waited to do the interview now for publicity because it coincided with her album release. Also she claimed to have never hit him back during the entire altercation yet the reports stated that he was bitten up and bruised as well, clearly all the facts have not yet been revealed.
People are getting too into their feelings about this situation. they’ve taken it on as if it was a family member of their own and the truth is that we know nothing about either of these people and we know even less about what happened in that car. people are taking sides as if it’s a battle to be won and the fact still remains that both of them will continue to make music and have their careers.
we all know that chris’ album is going to go platinum because of the publicity alone, so people who claim his career is over should check the charts and see that he’s still climbing to the top. Rihanna will make it because feminists & battered women believe that she needs their support. But that ‘what if it was your sister or mother’ excuse will only go so far if someone doesn’t hurry up and get her a vocal coach.
a year from now no one will care about any of this