RIHANNA: ‘I WOKE UP AS BRITNEY SPEARS’
THE FACTS
In a new interview with Glamour, Rihanna discusses the outpouring of media scrutiny she endured following her beating from Chris Brown.
THE SPIN
One of the things I always took issue with about Rihanna was that she didn’t really seem to say much about anything. But sometimes I have to remember that she just earned the right to drink legally like 36 hours ago. Named “Woman of the Year” by Glamour magazine, Rihanna showed a lot more depth to her as she discussed “the incident” and how she’s now using her voice to help others.
On coping with the intense media coverage:
Glamour: Do you feel that this experience has laid the groundwork for coping with anything so public again?
Rihanna: It has taught me so much. I felt like I went to sleep as Rihanna and woke up as Britney Spears. That was the level of media chaos that happened the next day. It was like, What, there are helicopters circling my house? There are 100 people in my cul-de-sac? What do you mean, I can’t go back home?
Glamour: If you could offer a message to the millions of young women who look up to you, what would you tell someone who found herself in a similar situation?
Rihanna: Domestic violence is a big secret. No kid goes around and lets people know their parents fight. Teenage girls can’t tell their parents that their boyfriend beat them up. You don’t dare let your neighbor know that you fight. It’s one of the things we [women] will hide, because it’s embarrassing. My story was broadcast all over the world for people to see, and they have followed every step of my recovery. 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.
And oh yeah, she still sings:
Glamour: I think that’s a great message. What about your new album? What’s it like?
Rihanna: I was involved in a lot of the writing. I put everything I’ve wanted to say for the past eight months into my music. The songs are really personal. It’s rock ‘n’ roll, but it’s really hip-hop: If Lil’ Wayne and Kings of Leon like my album, then I’ll feel good. I would not change anything about it. Even if people don’t love it, I made exactly the piece of art that I wanted to make. It’s super fearless—which is exactly how I feel right now. I am in a really good place.
YOUR SPIN: Do you think Rihanna has handled herself well? Tell us here.
Image courtesy of glamour.com
(*The views contained herein are solely the views of their respective authors, and do not express the views of TV One. TV One does not take responsibility for their content.)
Speaking objectively, she’s been a lot smarter about it than Chris Brown has by not really saying anything. I still think she wasn’t an angel in that ordeal either BUT from a PR standpoint, she’s been the smarter of the two.
agree with the PR standpoint,But i think chris really had no choice but to speak out.Did he do a great job(No),lol But he is a young man learning & so is rihanna a young women learning about life & consequences.So I wish them both well & just to think before you react.
“My story was broadcast all over the world for people to see, and they have followed every step of my recovery. 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.”
From what I read above, she still hasn’t said anything. She got a bunch of media attn. okay… But what does she offer to women who are going through it. She says people have followed her every step to recovery, the only thing I’ve seen is TMZ stalking her from club to club – maybe that is her recovery. To each his/her own, but I’m not seeing the example or anything to help other than to tell young women “you aren’t the only one going through this.” Not sure how that actually helps.
Im with you on this one Mia, I was just thinking the same thing, cmon if your gonna say that you want to give insight please show us how you are doing that? i havent seen anything like that come out of this ordeal, she is startin to get on my nerves for real
Well she really didn’t say much, but what could she say. Hey girls I slapped the crap out of Chris Brown while he was driving.His reflects slapped me back. So to all the young ladies out there. Don’t hit unless you are willing to be hit back. She could have said something like that.
DV is wrong when a woman hit a man, it’s wrong and when a man hit a woman it is wrong. Period….
She did not say anything that was worth listening to. She is not saying what really happened. To me it was just a waste of the public time. Trust me it was not all Chris fault. This man’s career is all in a mess because of this. But when you do evil Rhianna it will come back and bite you in the ass. Maybe not now, but when you least expect. GOD is watching you.
I was just watching NBC’s Early Today and they are still slanted in favor of Rihanna! Unless you know the whole story, quit being so biased. From the evidence that is out there, both of these cats were to blame.
As littlebit said, DV is wrong no matter WHO does it. Its not right for a man to hit a woman nor is it right for a woman to hit a man. Basically, the only time a man or woman should hit each other is when they are doing the nasty and only if they are into that kind of thing! LOL!
Otherwise, keep your hands to yourself. That should go for both men and women but too many times, American society turns a blind eye when a woman does it.
Riahnna,,,go somewhere and sit down!
Did she handle herself well? lol, she sold her soul to save face and she just threw CB’s ass under the bus and he is stuck around the tire. Just watch GMA’s clip!
“The more WE fell in love, the more WE became dangerous to each other”
Her cd is coming out next week! She’s giving interviews, now! She talking about dv and mimicking all the language combined with the voided stare; “If it happens to me it can happen to anybody”, “I can’t believe I loved someone like him”, “Going back was the wrong, it sent the wrong message” etc…
She is seen as a role model, that’s the gimmick they are selling and they ran with it.
She is Jay’s protege, yeah!
I sincerely hope that Rihanna does not become involved with another man for a very long time. She needs to seek counseling and surround herself with positive family and friends that wish her well.
I THINK THE INTERVIEW WAS ORCHESTRATED BY HER PR CREW, SHE HAD TO SAVE FACE TO KEEP HER FAN BASE. I FEEL LIKE THEIR WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN HER EARS ABOUT HOW TO DISTANCE HERSELF FROM CHRIS SO SHE CAN APPEAR MORE OF THE VICTIM, HOWEVER WITH THAT SAID I HOPE THEY CAN MOVE ON WITH THEIR CAREERS!!!
Chris had to be more vocal because “the world” had automatically taken Rihanna version and Chris is the bad guy. This Woman-Child was able to financially get the hell out of there if that was the case. This is like the Taylor girl and Kanye all day every day. Where was the outcry when the women on the Rutgers team was called names. They didn’t get a million dollar contract. They went to the bank with a lousy apology. Please. I’m sick of the double standards. I still like Chris Brown. Enough is Enough
Excuse me. I should had added a man that hit you DO NOT LOVE YOU. PERIOD. Was this a woman scorned.
I THINK RIHANNA PLAYS THE ROLE OF I AM NOT THE VICTIM,BUT IN TRUTH SHE PLAYS “I AM THE STRONG VICTIM” WELL. I WATCHED THE INTERVIEW, SHE SEEMED COACHED FOR CERTIN QUESTIONS. IT LOOKS AS IF SHE REALLY WANTS TO PUT THIS YEARS EVENTS BEHIND HER, BUT IN ORDER TO DO THIS SHE TOO MUST ADMIT TO HER FULL PARTICIPATION IN THEIR SITUATION. IT DOESN’T EXCUSE WHAT WAS DONE, BUT IT MIGHT HELP FURTHER EXPLAIN WHAT GOT THEM THERE. I’M NOT TAKING SIDES. IT’S NOT MAN VS. WOMEN THING WITH ME. I THINK THEY SHOULD STOP TALKING ABOUT IT. LET’S SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN 6 YEARS.
It’s amazing that women would put Rhianna down. I think she spoke out with class. I believe that between the two of them they were in an abusive relationship. Chris is doing what he has to do legally and I believe from his heart and Rhianna is doing the same. Why must we put Rhianna and Chris down for thier different ways of sharing thier story. Why? Hopefully little girls will understand that being beaten is not acceptable and Chris will encourage young men to take mature stance when put in this position. I am just astonished at all the women throwing Rhianna under the bus because as a women whether it was her fault or not it is NEVER okay for a man to beat a woman or for a woman/young lady to be afraid to voice it and this goes for men being abused as well. I commend them both for doing the best that this “circling vulture” called the media will allow them to do.
It’s never ok for ANYONE to hit ANYONE, being of the female gender doesn’t automatically make you victim. Stop with the a man should never hit a woman, plenty of men end up dead and mamed for that same mentality.
Rihanna sounded bitterly like a Jay Z clone. Her arrogance was unbearable. She referred to people who questioned the validity of her story as ignorant, as if she is above and beyond reproach or questioning. She said she never hit him, do I believe that, no, why because of her response before the question was asked, “Even if I did hit him, that gave him no right to do what he did to me! It’s like a subconscious admission. Like how people say, I’m not racist but…She also said she kept pushing the issue of the text and it escalated from that point. This is where they both lost focus. Would it not have been better to diffuse this by just dropping the whole issue until they had both calmed down enough to have a reasonable conversation? Although she did not cause the physical abuse she took no accountability for her role in what led to the escalating incident.
She said he needed to take responsiblity and he has but she is playing the complete victim, no it’s not working for me. “If it happened to Me this can happen to anybody”. She sounded as if she was saying “I’m great and this happened to ME! It’s been happening to many others for a while now, they have been suffering everday.
Mar not sure if you referred the first paragraph to me but in my post I clearly state this goes for men being abused as well. I can care what she sounded like or anything I am sure this was edited to make her look and sound like a victim as well just like Chris interviews have edited to make him sound like the woe is me young man who made a mistake. If anyone has any “real” understanding of domestic violence even a fool can see they were in that one together but it still doesn’t make either one of them right but it does make them both participants. Don’t believe the hype.
I meant “I can care less”
Birthwrite,
I should have posted this on the other forum, it’s for the “a$$-kissing” article.
Mar,
There is A-kissing article…wtf I must have missed that..forgive me for having a slow moment but is that sarcasm? (this is a serious question)lol
Birthwrite,
Lol, no not really, the forum with the interviews is so slanted. I just found the writing to be extremely biased. My protective mother instinct kicks in when this story arises.
I understood your comment also.
I like both young people but I feel CB is really getting the shaft. I understand the uplifting for Ri but these are kids and the planned bashing and destruction of this one kid is ridiculous. The media is ridiculous with this and TV One is just as bad.
Yes of course she has handled herself well and with coaching from her PR and manager, all this has done is hyped up her career. How convient of her to give an interview a week before her album dropped on one the most popular news show viewed by millions. Work it girl!! You had to listen closely to the interview, she pretty much stated that the abuse has been going on for some time from them both, it just never reach the level that it did on that particular night and she basically pushed him to the point of no return, but she just didn’t think he would take it where he did, which still doesn’t make it right for CB to abuse her. Hopefully she has learned that a slight pushing or even play fighting are signs that it could escalate to far more than you bargain for.
If it was not for that woman calling the police due to her screaming and the media attn…Ri would still be in that abusive relationship with CB.