Rihanna Oprah Interview: Singer Justifies Chris Brown, Sends Wrong Message

Culture

Hit me baby one more time? Singer Rihanna seems to be stealing a line from fellow troubled pop star Britney Spears.

The performer of "We Found Love" told Oprah she felt “concerned and protective” of Brown when her then boyfriend chocked and punched her -- following an incident involving text messages between Brown and a former girlfriend on the eve of the 2009 Grammy Awards.

"Nobody's going to say he needs help. Everybody's going to say he's a monster," Rihanna told Winfrey. "I was more concerned about him," she added.

The singer's statement send the wrong message when it comes to cases of domestic violence. Rihanna, the victim, seems to be justifying her aggressor’s violence. This could set a dangerous example for fans of both Rihanna and Chris Brown who could be going through similar circumstances.

Brown pleaded guilty in 2009 after punching and chocking Rihanna while sitting in a car in the Hancock Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, where the couple had just attended a pre-Grammy Awards party.

As a result, he was placed on a five years’ probation, six months of community labor – during which the rapper was supposed to pick up trash and remove graffiti – and a yearlong domestic violence prevention class.

However, Rihanna said she was angry at Brown but also felt protective of him. “I just felt like he made that mistake because he needed help and who’s going to help him? Nobody’s going to say he needs help.”

Meanwhile, defiant Brown said he wishes Rihanna stopped talking about the incident so everybody can move on. He also described as "frivolous" a lawsuit he and fellow singer and rapper Drake have been slapped with as a consequence of a New York City night club brawl both entertainers were involved in last June -- and in which NBA player Tony Parker and others resulted injured.