The attack was unforgettable, happening to me right in front of the world. Why are we digging up this old story now? It’s much more serious than any of us thought. There’s a story here that could save someone’s life. We looked into Chris Brown and Rihanna’s case and found horrific details. He was quoted saying, “Now I’m really going to kill you.” Police found facial contusions and bite marks, making it the most shocking scandal of the decade.
I remember when the pictures came out. I saw them and thought it was ridiculous that it wasn’t taken seriously. People dismissed it as just a petty, stupid fight. When a man hits you once, everyone calls him a monster, and he will hit you again. What if I’m supposed to help him? She’s sending the wrong message to young fans. Now they’re blaming the victim. It was embarrassing and humiliating. The tabloids went crazy, constantly talking about Chris Brown and Rihanna. I was more worried about him. Rihanna knew about Chris’s past. We’ve just received some of the actual filing documents, and they’re ugly. I have some things that I think will really shock you. This happened to me, and it can happen to anybody. This is the real-life story behind the tabloids.
I caught him in a lie, and he refused to tell the truth. His back was against the wall, and things escalated until he became violent towards me. There was no soul in his eyes; it was an ugly situation. The crazy part is, she went back to him after all this. Just a couple of weeks later, she returned to him. Why would she do that? To understand, we need to look back at their relationship and how it all began.
Their relationship began publicly when Rihanna and Chris Brown went public towards the end of 2008. They were seen together at award shows, appearing happy, but the reality was quite different. Falling in love with your best friend feels unparalleled, but the power we had at that age was dangerous. The deeper we fell in love, the more dangerous we became for each other, equally so.
How dangerous? On the night of the assault, Chris and Rihanna were seen at a pre-Grammys party. The incident in the car stemmed from there. While driving home, Rihanna saw a text message on Chris’s phone from his ex-manager, a woman with whom he had a past sexual relationship, as reported by the police. This led to an argument, and ultimately, the assault occurred.
The award nominee just posted bail on criminal charges, and he’s in serious trouble right now. Chris turned himself in, and the media went wild.
I remember when the pictures were leaked, showing just how severe the assault was. But for some reason, it wasn’t taken seriously. People were making jokes about something so traumatic. The police report painted a horrifying picture: he shoved her head against the passenger window, punched her in the left eye, causing her mouth to fill with blood, and bit her left ear. When she tried to call her assistant for help, he threatened her, saying, “You just did the stupidest thing ever. Now I’m really gonna kill you.” It’s hard to even hear about it, knowing she lived through it. We’re just reading about it, but for her, it was personal and public. It was embarrassing, humiliating, and hurtful. I lost my best friend overnight; everything changed in an instant, turning into a circus.
Star magazine claimed, “It’s not just because she’s hopelessly in love with him. It’s also because she provoked the attack.” This is blatant victim-blaming. A friend told MTV News, “I don’t think Chris would just hit a girl like that. She must have done or said something to provoke him.” It’s shocking that people defended him, considering the violence she endured. The assault was real, yet people turned it into a joke.
Rihanna went back to Chris, and when Diane Sawyer asked her about it, she explained, “It was confusing for me. I was still attached by love. What if I am supposed to help him?” But the messages from fans made her realize she had to make the right decision. “When I realized that my selfish decision for love could result in some young girl getting killed, I couldn’t be responsible for telling them, ‘Go back.'”
He pleaded guilty to one count of assault and was sentenced to five years of probation along with 180 days of community service. Rihanna also obtained a restraining order against him, preventing any communication between them. During this time, Chris Brown started dating Karrueche Tran, while Rihanna moved on and began a relationship with Drake.
In February 2011, the restraining order was eased, allowing Rihanna and Chris to have contact again. Despite being allowed to communicate, their relationship remained complicated. Rihanna formed a friendship with ASAP Rocky, went on tour with him, and began acting in movies, gradually getting back to her usual self.
In December 2012, Rihanna and Chris were seen together at a basketball game, which puzzled many given their past. This period was confusing and emotional. There was anger and hurt, but also a sense that Chris needed help. Many people quickly labeled him a monster without considering his background.
Rihanna understood Chris’s past, knowing he had an abusive stepfather. In a 2007 interview with Giant magazine, Chris shared his fear of one day ending up in jail for killing his stepdad. Rihanna could relate, as her own father was abusive toward her mother, even breaking her nose once. Rihanna saw her mother hide the abuse, which influenced her own reactions to similar situations.
The tabloids were going wild. Why would she take him back? Was she pregnant? Was she spiraling? Her family and friends were turning against her. But in an article, she shared her side of the story: “After being tormented for so many years, being angry and dark, I’d rather just live my truth and take the backlash. I can handle it. It’s different now; we don’t have those same types of arguments anymore.” Still, I don’t get why she went back to him a second time.
In a Vanity Fair article, Rihanna opened up. When asked if she thought she could change him, she said, “100%. I was very protective of him. I felt that people didn’t understand him.” She really believed Chris had changed. But by summer, they had broken up for good. In that situation, you realize you’re the enemy. Sometimes, you just have to walk away. She accepted that and moved on.
Rihanna said that when Chris attacked her, it was like he had no soul. She saw someone she couldn’t recognize. She thought, “Oh, it’s not him,” but maybe it was because after their breakup, he kept spiraling. His ex, Karrueche Tran, also filed a restraining order against him after he threatened to kill her. He didn’t change. Chris released a documentary where he talked about the attack: “It was just a petty, stupid fight, bro. I realized, what the hell am I doing, bro? What are we doing?” Their experiences in that moment were clearly different.
Despite the tabloids and their portrayal, Rihanna came out on top. She’s now a billionaire business mogul, confident and unapologetic. She has her makeup line, clothing line, and lingerie. She’s dating ASAP Rocky, our lovely friend from tour. Yes, they are having a baby. She’s living her best life now, glowing and radiant. It’s never too late to break the pattern and make a change. Rihanna did it, and she’s thriving.
