Singer Chris Brown pleads guilty to assaulting his former girlfriend, pop start Rihanna during a hearing at Superior Court of Los Angeles County on June 23, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lori Shepler-Pool/Getty Images)
Attorney Donald Etra (L) and singer Rihanna appear at a preliminary hearing at Superior Court of Los Angeles County on June 23, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. The preliminary hearing is to determine if Chris Brown will stand trial for allegedly attacking pop singer Rihanna, during an argument in a rented Lamborghini sports car following a pre-Grammy Awards party on February 8, 2009. (Photo by Lori Shepler-Pool/Getty Images) (Photo by Pool/Getty Images)
Singer Chris Brown (L) and attorney Mark Geragos appear at a preliminary hearing at Superior Court of Los Angeles County on June 23, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. The preliminary hearing is to determine if Chris Brown will stand trial for allegedly attacking pop singer Rihanna, during an argument in a rented Lamborghini sports car following a pre-Grammy Awards party on February 8, 2009. (Photo by Lori Shepler-Pool/Getty Images)
October 01, 2012: Rihanna leaaving a commercial bulding in Soho then arriving at her hotel where she signed autopraphs to her fans today in New York City. Mandatory Credit: Jayme Oak/INFphoto.com
October 3, 2012: Rihanna leaves her New York Hotel tonight thirty minutes after Chris Brown. Rihanna flashed her boob and nearly showed nipple as her blouse left little to the imagination. Mandatory Credit: Jae Donnelly/INFphoto.com
October 03, 2012: Chris Brown leaves Rihanna’s hotel in New York City tonight. Later in the evening Rihanna left the hotel. Mandatory Credit: JT/INFphoto.com
October 3, 2012: Rihanna leaves her New York Hotel tonight thirty minutes after Chris Brown. Rihanna flashed her boob and nearly showed nipple as her blouse left little to the imagination. Mandatory Credit: Jae Donnelly/INFphoto.com
October 4, 2012: Rihanna spotted in a New York City wearing a Chanel Vintage No. 5 belt. Mandatory Credit: Dario Alequin/INFphoto.com
October 2, 2012: Rihanna, sporting a sexy pair of Christian Louboutin Sea.nn Girl thigh high boots, is spotted leaving her NYC hotel and heading to the studio after a night with Chris Brown in New York City. Mandatory Credit: Alequin/Bosch/INFphoto.com
October 2, 2012: Rihanna, sporting a sexy pair of Christian Louboutin Sea.nn Girl thigh high boots, signs an autograph for a fan as she’s seen leaving her NYC hotel and heading to the studio after a night with Chris Brown in New York City. Mandatory Credit: Alequin/Bosch/INFphoto.com
From Ebony.com: When I learned that Chris Brown had released a statement via his publicist that he had broken up with longtime girlfriend Karruche Tran because he didn’t want her “to be hurt by his friendship with Rihanna,” I slammed my head on the desk so hard, I thought about suing #teambreezy for damages.
Not really, but despite the looming inevitability of a Chrihanna reunion, I had really hoped that I had edited, written or read my last piece about the two and their relationship. Alas, that was not to be the case. In this era of oversharing and a culture of ‘celebrities walking and breathing=news,’ it wasn’t enough for dude to just break up with his lady and quietly get back with his ex…he had to explain to us that he was breaking up with his lady because of this paper thin non-admittance that he’s dealing with his ex, as a friend.
Likeliest story ever.
Alas, in some capacity, Chris Brown and Rihanna have a significant presence in each other’s lives once again. Or, they always did and now they feel enough time has passed since the beatdown (that you can’t mention without being accused of being a manhater or robbing Robyn of all her agency or just bringing up old stuff) that they can be public with their friendship. Or something else all together.
Welp, it is what it is. In the past three years, the story of these two young people has provided some serious teachable moments around domestic violence, repentance (and the lackthereof), redemption and how abuse can be passed down generation to generation; we’ve also shed light on some horrifying cultural attitudes around victim blaming (if you told me before Grammy night ’09 that so many people thought of West Indian women as fiesty-to-the-point-of-deserving-a-beatdown, I would not have believed you) and accountability.
