Though much of the world would prefer that she stand as a role model for abused women and never utter Chris Brown’s name again, Rihanna seems uninterested in assuming the role model mantle.
Over and over again, just when it seemed that she had put the Chris Brown saga of her life behind her, we hear that they have reconnected. In her interview with Oprah Winfrey for “Oprah’s Next Chapter” Rihanna grew tearful as she talked about Brown, the man who pleaded guilty to beating her, a crime for which he was supposed to do six months of community service. The case is still ongoing, as a Los Angeles judge has questioned whether Brown actually completed the required six months. He is scheduled to return to court on August 21 to report to the judge.
About her famous breakup with Brown, Rihanna tearfully told Oprah, “It was embarrassing. It was humiliating. I lost my best friend,” the 24-year-old said.
“I was resentful, I held a grudge, I was dark,” she adds.
In addition to a musical collaboration between the two of them earlier this year, there have been numerous reports of late-night rendezvous in the French Riviera aboard fancy yachts.
In her own promotional video talking about her trip, Oprah directly addresses the camera and says, “I went there with my own ideas about who she was. I thought she was going to be a bad ass, a hard edge rocker, pop woman. Nothing could have been farther from the truth.”
Oprah says, “She was thoughtful”—then the camera cuts to Rihanna saying, “I’m super duper afraid of the pedastal that comes with fame.”
Oprah says, “She was very emotional”—then the camera cuts to a clip of Rihanna crying.
Oprah says, “She was vulnerable”—the camera cuts to Rihanna saying, “It’s amazing how lonely you can feel.”
“She pushes the edge a lot and there’s a reason for that; and I came away getting a great sense of who she was. I was surprised at how good a driver she was,” Oprah says, as the screen shows Rihanna driving the two of them through Barbados.
“This is how you know who somebody is, how people react to them,” Oprah says as the screen shows Rihanna hugging an older friend from the neighborhood. “Going back to the neighborhood, it wasn’t like this was a big superstar, mega star, pop star had returned to the neighborhood. It was just Robin—as though she had gone to the grocery store and came back. It was great. It was great to see. I hope you’ll join me for a really get-down conversation with Rihanna.”
