While Rihanna may be at the top of her career, the road to success was riddled with some real highs and lows.
As you may recall, in 2009, news that the pop star – who had become a role model to young girls everywhere – had been brutally beaten by her then-boyfriend, Chris Brown, shook the world. In the weeks following, photos of a battered Ri Ri would surface online, proving that the issue of domestic abuse is certainly everyone’s business.
In a November 2009 interview with Diane Sawyer, the Bajan bombshell dropped yet another bomb, when she revealed that the incident, which prevented her attendance at the 2009 Grammys, wasn’t the first and in fact, it takes “eight or nine” incidents of domestic violence before one leaves an abusive relationship.
Moreover, the singer admitted that, “When I realized that my selfish decision for love could result into some young girl getting killed, I could not be easy with that part. I couldn’t be responsible … If Chris never hit me again, who’s to say that their boyfriend won’t … kill these girls”. Rihanna told young girls, ”Don’t react off of love. F love.”
Fast forward to August 2012 and Rihanna broke her silence once more, telling Oprah Winfrey that in spite of it all, she missed her “best friend” [Brown]. “It was a weird, confusing space to be in, because as angry as I was … I just felt he made that mistake because he needed help. [And I wondered], who’s going to help him?” She continued, “No one’s going to say, ‘He needs help.’ Everybody’s going to say, ‘He’s a monster. Without looking at the source.’”
In the years following, Rihanna would shock fans after deciding to both make music with Brown as well as re-enter a relationship with him. “I decided it was more important for me to be happy. I wasn’t going to let anybody’s opinion get in the way of that. Even if it’s a mistake, it’s my mistake. 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,” the bad gal told Rolling Stone in 2013, of her newfound bond with Brown.
The pair even addressed their policy of “zero f-cks given” in their collab titled “Nobody’s Business,” signing, “It ain’t nobody’s business. It ain’t nobody’s business. You’ll always be mine. Sing it to the world. Always be my boy, always be my girl. Ain’t nobody’s business. Ain’t nobody’s business. Ain’t nobody’s business, but mine and my baby.”
Only, truth of the matter is, the inclination for some to accept domestic abuse, its causes, and the aftermath is everyone’s business.
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, on average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. That equates to more than 10 million women and men, each year. Not to mention, that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have been victims of [some form of] physical violence by an intimate partner within their lifetime.
Shockingly, only 34 percent of those injured by intimate partners seek medical treatment for their injuries.
When taking into account those indirectly impacted by domestic violence: family, children, friends, co-workers, the economy — the list goes on — the issue becomes an epidemic that in many ways, “takes a village” to overcome.
To add some perspective, between 21-60 percent of victims of intimate partner violence lose their jobs due to reasons stemming from abuse and account for $8.3 billion in incident related expenses, including medical and property damages per year, reports the NCADV.
To learn more about the signs of domestic abuse and where to seek the help you need, click here.