In a new interview with Vanity Fair Rihanna opens up about her relationship with Chris Brown, past and present, and spoke about her lingering feelings him.
During the interview, Rihanna called Brown her “last real boyfriend” and said, “I don’t hate him. I will care about him until the day I die.”
Speaking of the time that the two of them were dating, Rihanna said, “I was very protective of him. I felt that people didn’t understand him. Even after.”
She also opened up about the nature of their relationship following the infamous photos of her swollen, bruised face as allegations of domestic abuse followed the pair everywhere.
She said that she and Brown got back together because she thought that she could change him and that he just needed someone who would understand.
Rihanna continued by saying that she had hoped she could be his “guardian angel” and that she would be “someone to encourage them in a positive way and say the right thing.”
Finally, however, she realized that her presence was only a constant reminder of what he had done. She also said that she realized that, as long as she continued to put up with his behavior, he would never respect her. And so, she left.
“Sometimes you just have to walk away,” she said.