In about an hour and a half Rihanna is scheduled to take the stand against ex-boyfriend Chris Brown. It’s been rumored for months that she’d find some way out of it (or flat-out refuse), but Rihanna’s lawyer has insisted all along that she’ll be there. There have also been rumors that the prosecution and defense made some kind of last minute agreement, but apparently that’s untrue, and it sounds like court proceedings will go ahead as planned.

The stage is set for an explosive court hearing in Los Angeles Monday afternoon as pop diva Rihanna publically comes face-to-face with R&B singer Chris Brown, her ex-boyfriend accused of badly beating her last February. The big question remains — will Rihanna take the stand Monday at Brown’s preliminary hearing to recount the events the night of their alleged altercation? It’s expected that she will testify, and Rihanna’s lawyer tells RadarOnline.com that the subpoenaed singer will “comply and answer the questions” asked of her in court Monday.

At the conclusion of the preliminary hearing, the judge will decide whether there is enough evidence to order Brown to stand trial or to dimiss [sic] the case altogether. Brown has pleaded not guilty to multiple felony charges (assault and making criminal threats) prosecutors said he committed against the Umbrella singer in the Hancock Park area of Los Angeles after a pre-Grammy night soiree on February 8.

In response to rumors that prosecutors and Brown’s attorneys had reached an an eleventh-hour accord, Rihanna’s attorney told RadarOnline.com that he believes the court proceedings will take place Monday. “There is no deal on the table that I’m aware of,” Donald Etra told RadarOnline.com Sunday evening. “Rihanna is under subpoena to testify, and she will be there [Monday] afternoon.”

…Media frenzy is expected to hit an all-time high for Monday’s proceedings: 52 outlets have requested access to Monday’s session, a number the LA Times reported trumps other high-profile celebrity court incidents, including Paris Hilton’s 2007 incarceration, Britney Spears’ divorce or Lindsay Lohan’s DUI case. “I’ve never seen this kind of interest, and I’ve been here seven years,” Court spokesman Allan Parachini told the LA Times.

[From Radar]

It’ll be interesting to see what’s released and how quickly. Of those 52 media outlets who have requested access, none of them will be allowed to film the proceedings. Presumably live audio recordings will be allowed since that’s almost always the case, but I’m finding conflicting reports on that so we’ll have to wait and see.

I can’t imagine what Rihanna must be going through right now, but I’m guessing that more than anything, she just wants this to be over with. Chris Brown’s lawyers have done a great job of dragging this out as long as possible. Though initially a lot of people were disappointed in Rihanna for getting back together with Brown, she ultimately made the right decision and broke up with him. Since this is just a preliminary court hearing Rihanna will likely have to go before the court again. Tough as it is, that’s ultimately what we want to see, because that means Brown hasn’t gotten a deal. This is just one step in the process, but it still brings her a little closer to being done with the ordeal.

Here’s Rihanna visiting the Hand and Foot Spa at Carol’s Daughter in Harlem on Wednesday. Images thanks to WENN.com .