Rihanna: I Woke Up As Britney Spears, Assault Was 'Humiliating'

LOS ANGELES — Rihanna says dealing with the media attention after being assaulted in February by ex-boyfriend Chris Brown was humiliating. But she now hopes to speak for young women who are afraid to talk openly about domestic violence.

The 21-year-old pop star told Glamour magazine in an interview posted online Tuesday that the police photo of her bruised face that was leaked to reporters added insult to injury.

After the assault, she awoke to find helicopters circling her house and reporters swarming her street. "I felt like I went to sleep as Rihanna and woke up as Britney Spears," she said.

Rihanna said she felt disappointed and taken advantage of, especially when she heard that the two officers under investigation for leaking her photo were women.

"I felt like people were making it into a fun topic on the Internet, and it's my life," she said.

Rihanna said she didn't realize how much her decisions affected people she didn't know, like her many fans. She feels stronger, wiser and more aware now, she added.

"Domestic violence is a big secret," Rihanna said. "The positive thing that has come out of my situation is that people can learn from that. I want to give as much insight as I can to young women, because I feel like I represent a voice that really isn't heard. Now I can help speak for those women."

Brown, 20, pleaded guilty to felony assault in June. He was sentenced to five years' probation, six months of community labor and a year of domestic violence counseling for the attack, in which he was accused of hitting, choking and biting Rihanna in a rented sports car.

TMZ published the photo of Rihanna's bruised face less than two weeks after the beating, and the LAPD immediately launched an internal investigation of the leak.

Comments

[Paige Kendrick]

I dont think its just a coincidence that she waited to talk about her "incident" with Chris Brown until the month her album is being released. Whether it was her or her team, but I think it was in poor taste. I work in the media and the way itll go is:

Diane asks: so tell me about what happened that night....
Rihanna responds: well I dont really even know....::­gives details::
Diane asks: so what were you thinking by that point?
Rihanna: I dont really know.....
Diane asks: So is this right? I see here that you have a new album coming out. What are the songs about?
Rihanna: continues the shameless plug

[sheeshbrother]

When you hit a girl after she hit you 3 times isn't she just a drunk punching bag?
just saying

[Niasia]

I don't understand why she had to mention Britney. How low class of her...no need to bring anyone elses issues into your own!

[fabricnthreads]

Oh, I so agree with you. Leave Brittney alone. She has had her issues, but Brittney has never said anything mean about someone else's problems.

[Zeroes]

Britney has more sense.

[Ecoutez]

C'mon...ge­t a grip. She only mentioned Britney because of all the publicity, helicopters, parparazzi, etc., heaped on her....not for any other reason. She has never received that much attention before.

[vascopyjama]

Lucky she didn't wake up thinking she was Burt Reynolds.

[NMCJ]

Did she really had to mention Britney spears?

She could have said it in a different way without saying anything about Britney.
(Not that i like Britney )It's just disrespectful.
At least she has an excuse she's young...I'­ll give her that.

[ReedYoung]

I think she was referring to the paparazzi obsession with Brittney. I didn't find it disrespectful, and I don't believe I would if I was Brittney Spears, either. I'm sure Spears has noticed that she has tabloid stalkers and would understand the remark if she read it. Maybe even laugh a little.

[Mafdet]

I'm glad she has finally said something to indicate that she knows that what happened to her was wrong. I can appreciate that a spotlight was turned on something that she had trouble coming to grips with herself, but most women having experienced what she did would have said something like: "I told the police everything I have to say. Now go over to Chris' place and ask him to explain this." Instead, she seemed to want to sweep it under the rug. Was that her recording label's idea? Was it her idea? The police should not have released pictures of her, of course. Of course, she should have released pictures of what he date did to her.

[fanifesu]

rihanna is incredibly attractive, i wish i could marry her.

[Bluejay00234]

Interesting she chose to speak out right before her albums drops.

[Epiphany2b]

I do believe when a musician has a new album out they are expected to promote it, and I suspect no one would interview her without asking about the abuse. It appears that she is a horrible person because she wants her album to be a success, and also because she allowed herself to get beat up. She should have known better. Perhaps she's learned something from the experience, but it won't do her any credit with a society which took sides immediately after the beating. It's sad that we need to be so judgmental without even knowing the person we judge.

[kappa08]

...werd

[Paige Kendrick]

exactly

[toocoldout]

Chris Brown really did a number on her. The photographs of what he did to her face still give me nightmares. Repeated blows to the head can do permanent damage.

[daisydukes]

It seems the people who were advising her during her crisis were even more clueless. This situation could have had a better outcome. Now maybe she was advised but followed her own head one never knows. From what was said on the news media she even refused to see her own family during that time, in fact her dad was going public about it. Going back to Chris was just one stupid move which Rihanna did not reflect on and it came back to bite her. What is so sad is amidst people encouraging her to speak out publicly agianst domestic abuse (they did not needed to hear her personal details), just to say no-one has to tolerate it. She has so many teenaged fans some of whom who were already taking beatings from their teenage boyfriends. Amidst all of this she chose to stay mum, so it can blow over. Now, the Christmas season is upon us and she has a new CD to promote and suddenly we are seeing and hearing Rihanna all over the media. As for the Britney comparison, Brit actually sat down for one hour with the media to talk about her meltdown and we all felt for her. Sorry Rihanna, way out of Brit's league girl, way out.

[kesiac]

Anyone who knows anything about domestic abuse knows that women dont just leave. Before an abuser puts his hands on a woman he destroys her esteem and makes her feel that she is worthy of any mistreatment that she receives. It is beyond me how anyone can walk in this world and not know that. Its amazing that so many people would blame and judge the the victim of abuse so harshly.

[sheikwil4]

A big lesson that people are over looking is women being involved with men who have witness abuse of their mothers as little boys and young men and never received counseling themselves because 99% of the time these young men & women repeat what they have seen all their lives. Plus women don't hit men either, this goes both ways. If this wasn't the first time he hit her and she stayed after the first time, then there is no excuse for her staying, it's not like she is in the siuation most women are, where the women are not financially able to leave. They both need to grow up. It appears, she hasn't learned a thing, she has jumped into another relationship already' but hasn't gone into counseling to see why she stayed.

[FabulousAt52]

I didn't even know who Chris Brown was until this story (originally) broke.
I was only vaguely familiar with Rihanna's name, and *never* even heard her music, etc. So I am NOT "a fan" of either of them.
I love the assumptions most people here want to jump too.... gee if you believe Rihanna has to own some responsibility in the violence between her and Brown, then of course you must be a Chris Brown fan! Please....

I know there is a vast number of women who are abused by husbands, boyfriends, dads, and others in their lives... without any provocation (on their part) at all.
However, this is not the case in THIS *specific* incident.
To apply the generalization of women not being responsible for being abused to THIS particular incident is not correct. This is not the 'typical' scenario of "domestic abuse".

Rihanna is a hot headed, spoiled brat, and has been violent in the past with Brown and other guys. She is not an innocent, delicate flower.
She needs to learn to keep her (violent) hands to herself as well

[Ohsherri]

After the "incident"­...and her face everywhere­...we were all with her,
nothing to be embarrased about.

It's after the fact...she keeps/kept going back again and again..
and NOW she wants to talk about it....righ­t when her album comes out???

L-o-s-e-r!

[DJ Koolkat]

I'm more disappointed that she went back to Chris Brown after what he did.

Way to "give insight to young women."

I've tutored girls who see Rihanna as a role model. She sent a detrimental to them: that it's somehow OK for men to treat women like this.

[Epiphany2b]

I remember reading comments from young women at the time this happened, and so many of them were of the "it's her own fault", "she's lying", "what did she do to make him do that to her" variety. To me, this indicates that it's very likely these girls are already in abusive relationships or have abuse in their homes, and have been programed to not think of it as abuse, or if they do, then the abuse is justified because of some causative behavior. I think that society took sides very quickly based on their own history, and very little has changed since.

[Auntikrist]

Frankly, I think the women cops who outed that picture did all abused women a really huge favor.

Seeing a female celebrity all beat up to crap by some guy who claims he supposedly loves her is a wake -up call that needed to be published. The beating and violence that women experience on a daily basis is violence and abuse that no one deserves. There is no good reason on earth ever for one human being to beat up another human being. The truth in this world is that men beat up women and children more often than they ever beat up each other.

The public seeing that male violence against women happens even in a so-called fabulous celebrity world is a good thing. The public needs to be reminded that the world still treats women like crap and that men out there still think it is okay to beat the snot out of any woman that pisses them off somehow.

It is a sick world that says it is okay for anyone to whale away on another human being just because they want to, and it is a double sick world that says men can beat up on women any time they want because they are bigger and stronger and simply have the right to.

[TRYKER]

She is being insulting to Britney. One thing Britney never did was hang with a guy that beat her...plea­se.
She didn't wake up Britney, she still hasn't awakened. They are trying to spin it of course, marketing must go on don't we know.
Using the violence as a stepping stone might end up with a positive result if Rihanna gets to the point where at last - in her own mind - it would be Bad PR $ - duh - to re-enter that violent world even though she condones that kind of relationship.
The latest photo of her wrapped in barbed wire doesn't appear as seeking peace. In fact it looks like torture is on her mind. I don't think we've seen the last of headlines on Rihanna.

[Ohsherri]

I can honestly say I have more respect for Britney.
Even when she shaved her head...she was like..."ya­...I lost it!"

[Epiphany2b]

I'm sure the reference to "waking up Britney" was in reference to her being all over the media, not that her situation was in any way similar to hers.

Are you suggesting that because she was abused, it is now imperative that she come across as squeaky clean, and do nothing at all that might be considered sexy? Because I don't see why posing for a photo, whether in barbed wire or revealing clothing, makes her a bad person. There is a far cry, for instance, between actively being involved in S & M, and using silk cords during lovemaking. A little bit of a suggestion can be exciting (I understand) when you have no interest in participating in the real thing. I must say I know nothing about her music, but I suspect that if she recorded the kind of music people think she ought to after this experience, she would soon be out of a job.