If there is anything good that can become of the abuse incident that transpired between Chris Brown and Rihanna last year before the Grammies, she says that we can learn from her mistakes. Though no victim can ever be blamed for being a victim, she does admit that she saw a few warning signs during their relationship that may have shed some light on the problems that Chris Brown was struggling with that led him to the abusive situation. Rihanna has revealed ex-boyfriend Chris Brown had ”control and insecurity issues” when they were dating, and she even claims she began to spot warning signs before she was attacked by Chris Brown. As we know, the ‘Russian Roulette’ singer was left battered and bruised by her then-boyfriend Chris Brown last February when he assaulted her in his car and in hindsight she could see the situation developing. And those were terms that she specifically used:

“There were control issues, insecurity. When people are insecure they become very controlling and they can get very aggressive and in turn abusive. It doesn’t have to be physical. Like they would say bad stuff to you to make you feel lesser than them just so they would have control in the relationship. It takes a big toll on your emotions and on your everyday life. It changes you.”

Rihanna also revealed she was emotionally drained when she recorded latest album ‘Rated R’ due to the attack, subsequent break-up and intense attention. The 21-year-old pop star added in an interview with W magazine:

“When I was making this album, every day I was in a different mood. Sometimes I was p***ed off, sometimes I was miserable, and every song brings out a different story. It’s still hard to listen to certain songs. Certain ones I couldn’t even record - I’d keep pushing them back. When the label finally said we had 12 hours to turn in the album, I was like, Okay, I have to record the last song. I just drank some red wine, dimmed the lights, got in the booth and sang it.”

Chris, 20, was found guilty of the assault and ordered to carry out 80 hours of community labor, 12 months of domestic violence counselling and five years probation. While she, and the rest of us, can take comfort in the fact that he’s not getting away with it, we can also learn from this. Though Rihanna can never EVER be blamed for not getting out of this sooner, she does teach us some important information in terms of knowing characteristics of an abuser that can maybe even help some women out there get out of similar situations. Either way, she’s a hero, and we applaud her for being as forthright as she has been about it, as this is not an easy thing to do, and something not every victim feels comfortable doing. Way to go Rihanna, keep rocking it, and we keep loving you.

Photograph: PacificCoastNews.com

Rihanna is well known for making headlines ever since she and Chris Brown put a global spotlight on domestic violence, and it seems that the world has decided to honor her for all that she has gone through, or at least Glamour Magazine has. She is seen here leaving her hotel on the way to an event sponsored by Glamour Magazine wearing a gorgeous evening gown that was not only sheer, nearly transparent, but adorned with a bevy of ruffles and pleats. That’s right, one domestic violence situation is not going to stop this girl from showing up in style. And she did just that for this party where she was honoured by Glamour with the outstanding achievement of Woman of the Year, and she was ever so humble when accepting this award. Accepting her Woman Of The Year award, the domestic abuse survivor gives in to the highly charged emotions of the past week and broke down, as any woman would. Maybe it was Maya Angelou’s speech calling women “rainbows in the clouds,” or maybe it was because Rihanna was, in her word(s)(?), “PMSed,” but the 21-year-old wound up taking her trophy in tears. Project Runway Canada host Iman warmed up the heartstrings as she spoke about presenting Rihanna with the Back-On-Top Superstar award in the wake of the awareness the singer is bringing to domestic abuse victims. “Now I am even more impressed with her dignity and courage,” Iman said. Rihanna was at a loss for words when she took the stage.
“I didn’t even know I had to speak; I didn’t know what kind of event it was, I didn’t know anything until a few hours ago. It was a real honour to be named Glamour’s Woman of the Year, especially because I think of myself as just becoming a woman…. I really look up to my gran and my mom. They are my two women of the year.”
Naturally, as most women would, she dedicated her award to her mom and grandma, who flew to New York’s Carnegie Hall from their home in Barbados to attend the ceremony. In her interview with Diane Sawyer, Rihanna spoke about how, growing up, her crackhead father would hit her mother.

“I’d be beating on my dad’s leg all the time trying to stand in the middle, breaking glass bottles so they could hear something else and snap out of it,” she said.

Well, well! The bar has certainly been raised for magazine-hosted awards shows. Nick Lachey may want to start brainstorming ideas for Cosmo’s Fun, Fearless Male awards now. On the other hand, for Rihanna to begin getting vocal about her experiences is a feat in itself, and we congratulate her on her award, and for braving a rather dark journey with her head held high. She truly is an inspiration to other women that may be going through the same thing.

Photo Source: PacificCoastNews.com

Guess Oprah wasn’t given the manual on how to deal with those with violent tantrum issues, as she seemed to tick Chris Brown off recently. Or guess Chris forgot that it wasn’t his show and that Oprah could do whatever the heck she wants. Frankly, Chris Brown expected a little more from Oprah than to do a show about how much of a ladybeater he is. Silly him. Sure, there was that Oprah Winfrey about domestic abuse, inspired by the asshat antics of Chris Brown against Rihanna. But Chris thinks there should have been another show. To balance things out. One that was “more helpful.” To him. You know what he means? Neither do I.

“I commend Oprah on being like, ‘This is a problem,’ but it was a slap in my face,” he told People, using an unfortunate metaphor. “I did a lot of stuff for her, like going to Africa and performing for her school. She could have been more helpful, like, ‘Okay, I’m going to help both of these people out.’”

Uh, that mutual back scratch party might fly in some environments, like, say, prison. But as far as I know, Oprah doesn’t make deals. She’s Oprah. She says, “make this man president” or “get this KFC meal for free” and it just happens.

Oprah, of course, has released an articulate message essentially telling Chris to get effed.

“Oprah is very appreciative that Chris Brown performed at her school but she takes domestic abuse very seriously. She hopes he gets the counselling he needs.”

The entire world would like to second that. In the same interview, Chris’s mom Joyce Hawkins reveals just how tightly she’d bonded with her son’s girlfriend. “She’s like a daughter,” Joyce says, on the heels of her comments to Larry King that Rihanna would call her “mom.” For example, Rihanna, Chris and Joyce spent two Christmases together. TWO! The three of them will be apart for this year’s Christmas thanks to a little Grinch called a restraining order. Do you think anyone would notice if Rihanna quietly stole Chris’s mom from him? I just think that would be best for everyone. Everyone except Chris. And who cares about him anyway? He can spend Christmas with Bow Wow.

Photo Source: Greg Tidwell, PacificCoastNews.com

This is one of those celebrities now that even just seeing a picture of him puts a bad taste in your mouth, that is if you are normal and aren’t all that keen on men that beat up women. But here he is, Chris Brown shooting a music video on the streets of Hollywood. He was seen wearing a yellow Billionaire Boys Club truckers cap and low slung baggy jeans. Not only is Billionaire Boys Club a clothing line designed by Pharrell Williams but it also was an 80’s social club for wealthy Californian boys who were involved in various crimes including beatings and murders. Just the kind of thing you want to be seen wearing after you’ve been sentenced for beating a girl up. Oh, but this is just for his image folks, since he seems to dumb to realize that he’s earned a bad boy rap all on his own for beating Rihanna’s head into a window. Even though, like most abusers, he still claims that he is still madly in love with her despite the fact that his current sentencing restrains him from being around her or contacting her for at least five years. In his first interview since the incident, Brown spoke candidly with Larry King:

“I never fell out of love with her. When I look at that police photo of her injuries now, I’m just like wow. I can’t believe that actually happened. I wish I could have changed that night. I just need to prove to people I can be a role model. That’s not who I am as a person, and that’s not who I promise I want to be. I definitely would be affected if she decided to date someone else, but at the end of the day, I mean, we’re not together, so, if she’s happy, I’m cool. We’ll always be friends.”

So at least we know something from the horse’s butt’s mouth, that they aren’t together despite rumors to the contrary. It would be pretty hard to maintain a relationship when there’s a pesky five year restraining order in the way though wouldn’t it? And just how pray tell does he think that he is a good role model? He is not exactly going to be inspiring kids while he is serving his six months of community service, one year of anger management and domestic violence counselling, and his five years where he isn’t allowed within 100 yards or 300 feet of Rihanna. That’s kind of steep, almost as steep a sentence as you can get without jail time. Yep, that’s inspiring all right. Maybe it will inspire kids to keep their hands to themselves, but I personally think that could have been accomplished with jail time as well, maybe teach kids that even famous people need to pay the consequences of their actions. Just me though. But of course HE thinks its a fair judgment.

“Everything comes with consequences. They want me to pick up trash remove graffiti. I’m a hard worker. It’s something I’m willing to do.”

Chris’ mother Joyce Hawkins sat next to her son throughout the interview, describing him as a “non-violent” person and discusses the abuse she suffered at the hands of Chris’ father. That’s another thing that will get folks riled, he has an excuse now? Sorry lady, am sure you are a real sweetie, but non violent people do not smash heads into windows and doors. Non violent people do not get sentenced for violent acts. Those are just my thoughts on the definitions of non violent people. Again, just me though. What do you think?

Photo: Greg Tidwell, PacificCoastNews.com

Chris Brown is seen here in a suit that is too expensive for the average man, but suitable enough for him to arrive in court to hear his sentencing for assaulting his then girlfriend Rihanna. And it sounds like the day has come that we’ve all been waiting for, though by all looks and accounts, many may have been disappointed with the results of his sentencing hearing. Yes, we were all hoping he’d get to exchange that suit for a coverall of sorts, and it doesn’t look like that is going to happen. A judge on Tuesday sentenced Chris Brown to five years’ probation, six months’ community labour for the beating of Rihanna and ordered the R&B singer to stay away from his former girlfriend for the next five years. Not the best sentence for those seeking justice for Rihanna, but at least he’s forced to leave her alone for a little bit. Because we all know how men with anger management problems are REALLY good at staying away from women that tried to ruin their careers. Even worse, Gibbons said Brown’s charge could eventually be reduced to a misdemeanour if he completes his sentence. And she did a pretty good job, as this will definitely stain his career for years to come, regardless of what the charges get reduced to.

As we all know, these charges stem from an attack the night before the Grammy Awards. The attack occurred in Los Angeles’ Hancock Park neighbourhood as Brown drove a rented sports car. A Los Angeles police detective described a brutal attack in a search warrant affidavit filed in the case, stating Brown hit, choked and bit Rihanna and tried at one point to push her from the car. Brown’s career suffered after his arrest, with sponsors dropping him and radio stations refusing to play his music. Both he and Rihanna had to cancel several high-profile appearances, including planned performances at the Grammy Awards the day after the attack. In a probation report released after the sentencing, Brown is quoted as saying he was “depressed” since the attack and that he “‘does not want to carry on that cycle.”‘ Poor baby. The report included letters of support for Brown from RCA/Jive Label Group Chairman Barry Weiss as well as an entertainment lawyer and a pastor. At this point, we can only hope that all parties move on with their lives, as it seems Rihanna’s career has never been better, and that is the biggest revenge of all. And we will hope and pray that Brown will follow his orders and leave her alone. As well as all of the rest of American women. Because you have to know, getting a date for him right now is probably more than a little tricky. And that in itself is fun to watch, seeing him suffer is making women smile all over America. As it should.

Photo: Louise Barnsley, PacificCoastNews.com

Well, they’re staying in the same hotel, so use your imagination. Which means it looks like Chris Brown is going to have plenty of occasions to wear his diamond “Oops” pendant. Both Chris and his ex-girlfriend Rihanna checked into New York’s Trump Tower hotel separately on Friday night. On the other hand, the restraining order written into his plea agreement for assault against Rihanna requires him to stay 50 yards away, so if he’s overcome with the desire to slap someone, he’s gonna have to find another target. Chris won’t even be formally sentenced until August 5, but unfortunately for the poor prisoner who’s singing “Somewhere Out There” and holding onto hope that someday he will make Chris Brown his prison wife, no one saw Chris breaking his probation Friday night. Chris went to a movie with friends, and Rihanna left two hours later to go out for fancy dinner at Philippe with an entourage of at least seven.

Chris checked out of Trump Tower on Saturday, and according to a friend, it was because Rihanna had checked in. So it was all one big crazy coincidence, much like every episode of Three’s Company that you’ve ever seen. But despite any scripted apologies you may have seen on YouTube this week, Chris hasn’t acted that apologetically over this whole career-ruining incident, aside from that time he looked deep inside himself and went Jet Skiing. And since Chris has already gotten away with pounding Rihanna in the face like a superpsychopath this year, feel free to go ahead and assume he was stalking.

Rihanna, meanwhile, has been linked to yet another new man. She brought blonde pin-up Mr. Hudson to the premiere of Inglourius Basterds in London, England, on Tuesday, reports the London Mirror. Mr. Hudson sings on Kanye West’s “Paranoid;” Rihanna is in the video. Their date sounds pretty PG, although Rihanna did lead Mr. Hudson by the hand to meet Quentin Tarantino. Quentin then went on to bore their ears off with advice for Rihanna about breaking into movies. Rihanna in the movies? Thanks a lot, Quentin. Maybe he should be the one with the Oops necklace. What’s new with Rihanna and Chris Brown? Not much it seems.

Photo: Focus Pictures, PacificCoastNews.com

Chic pop star Rihanna is seen here back to business as usual in New York City signing autographs and taking photographs with some of her fans as she heads out of a New York City hotel. She’s seen looking sexy and glamorous as ever in a black dress with a gorilla face on the front, in a style that leaves little to the imagination when it comes to her figure. And Rihanna has become quite famous for many things this year, one of them being this ability she has to always look absolutely stunning no matter what is going on in her life. Many even have referred to her as a style icon, so one look at her here and many that did not know otherwise would be surprised to hear she is in the thick of a heated domestic assault case.

As we all know, she was involved in an altercation with her boyfriend Chris Brown the night before the Grammy’s. We still don’t know all of the details of the altercation, but there was some physical violence that resulted in bruises and an injured face for Rihanna. And of course, he was the last person she was with so the charges went to him. Today we are anticipating more news on the Rihanna case as she is expected to appear in court to provide testimony against him. We won’t have too much drama though, as this is only a preliminary hearing to see if in fact there will be enough evidence against Chris to go to trial. And of course since Rihanna is the primary witness, what she says today will be a large stock of evidence for or against the case going to trial.

There has been a lot of speculation on this matter alone since this all started, will she or won’t she testify, and will she tell the truth? Will Chris Brown be in attendance when she does so, and is she legally obligated to give his testimony? For starters, her lawyers say that yes, she is absolutely going to testify and intends to tell the whole truth and nothing but. This despite the fact that yes, Chris will be there to hear her every word, and she is testifying even though she is not legally required to do so.

She is legally required to appear in court mind you, but due to the fact that this is a domestic violence case, she can exercise her right to refuse to take the stand without suffering jail time or charges. Another issue swirling on this case is the fact that Rihanna hit Chris Brown first and this started the whole thing. This issue is expected to come up during testimony today, despite the fact that the police report does not say that she was the instigator. At this point, as far as that issue is concerned, no lawyers from either side are commenting on this, though we do know the fight erupted after Chris Brown received a text from a former girlfriend. Again we have a case of he said she said and it is said that Rihann’s testimony will make or break whatever ends up happening to Chris Brown. She only needs to appear honest and credible while she is on the stand and the case will be made against him.

Now, if it does work in this favour, experts are saying that we can expect Brown to then push for a plea bargain, which may involve some jail time, all to avoid a very public trial on his violence issues. The case could end at any minute if he goes for this route, as lawyers on both sides presume that a trial in this matter is unlikely. And, despite all of this, it seems that this will all make for some uncomfortable issues between Chris Brown and Rihanna as we still do not have official word on whether or not they are still together.

There is no question that these two have not cut ties for good, as they have been seen out and about together, but Rihanna is also being linked romantically to Canadian rapper Aubrey Drake. And like with all of our stories folks, only time will tell on any of these matters. Let’s cross our fingers for Rihanna this nightmare is over very soon.

Photo: PacificCoastNews.com

Unlike Lindsay Lohan’s hair color changes, this is one story out of Hollywood that the world has been waiting to hear. And while many stories in Hollywood aren’t often remembered even moments after the instance, the moments of abuse between Chris Brown and Rihanna have not been, nor will they for some time. And for those that were concerned that Chris Brown was going to get off easy, put those worries to bed for at least a little while, as it looks like his troubles with Rihanna are finally getting managed from a justice perspective. Rihanna has finally received the long awaited subpoena to testify against Chris Brown in the assault case against him.

This was one of those issues back when it first happened that many in the legal world, the D.A.s office included, weren’t sure was going to happen. And there was even some talk of Rihanna ending up with charges if she didn’t testify against Chris. And while we still don’t know if she will or won’t, at least we have some peace that the case against Chris Brown is moving forward. As it stands now, his hearing has been set for June 22, and Rihanna was served in person on Tuesday with a subpoena to appear in court in relation to this “alleged” assault. Rihanna’s lawyer Donald Etra confirmed:

“Rihanna was served at my office by Los Angeles District Attorney investigators. If the preliminary hearing indeed goes forward, she is now legally required to be there, she will be there and will answer all questions truthfully.”

The upcoming hearing is taking place to find out whether there is enough evidence to take Chris - who has pleaded not guilty to felony assault and making criminal threats - to trial. It is expected that she will be cross-examined by Brown’s lawyer, Mark Geragos. Her testimony is of course the most highly anticipated testimony, as even Brown’s own lawyer says her testimony will make or break the case. Of course what the defense team is hoping to attain from this is that the prosecution will fail to present a case and it will be dismissed on the spot.

So we will see what Rihanna has to say when the time comes. And defense team have been pulling out all the stops to try and keep these charges at bay. They’ve even filed a request to have the hearing postponed, and this too was denied. Gregaros had argued Chris - who is accused of punching, biting and choking Rihanna until she was unconscious in his rented silver Lamborghini - would not be able to get a fair trial due to the pictures allegedly showing Rihanna’s facial injuries which were leaked to a US gossip website. But you know how it is, lawyers will say anything and everything when they get the chance. And men who hit women, will do just about anything to get away with it. I don’t know about you, but I am very excited about seeing what happens come June 22, you?

Photograph: Hector Vallenilla, PacificCoastNews.com