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.’”