Rihanna & Chris Brown: Celebrities in Crisis

Brown Wasn’t the Only One That Abused Her

Excuse me! I have something to say to all the people in the recording industry, particularly those in the R&B and hip-hop community. May I have your attention, please? Thank you. I would like to begin this article by reciting a line from the opening of the Johnny Depp film “The Libertine”. “Allow me to be frank, at the commencement. You will not like me. The gentlemen will be envious and the ladies will be repelled. You will not like me, and you will like me a good deal less as we go on.”

There are some very disturbing reports that have surfaced in the media regarding Rihanna and “Fist” Brown that need to be addressed. Comments are also being spewed in the hood that I believe are cause for great concern. Let me give you some examples. According to published reports, this is not the first time Brown went Ike Turner on his gorgeous, young girlfriend. Another indicated that Rihanna and Brown have reunited. Still, another report claimed that Rihanna is refusing to cooperate with law enforcement in the case. As far as word on the street goes, I’ve heard both men and women say things like “She must’ve really pissed him off. So what if he got a text from another ho! What does she expect? He’s Chris Brown!” or “He did the right thing. You can’t let these bitches violate, son!”

Okay, here’s the worst part of it all. I know for a fact that there are many young, top-level executives, managers, publicists and performers that are walking around with the same fucked up mentality. As bad as this is, here’s something else to consider. If a police report stated this is not an isolated incident, it’s obvious that someone was paid a king’s ransom to keep it from becoming public! Sadly, whoever it was is also responsible for allowing it to reach a point where one gifted singer has become the poster child for domestic abuse…and the other may have to give up the stage for a prison cell. Nice work, you dickhead!

Knowing how insidious the music industry can be, I believe decisions are being made that have nothing to do with concern or the safety of Rihanna. It’s all about money, power and protecting your investment at all costs! Moreover, the alleged reunion of the music stars is further evidence of an all-out attempt at damage control by one or both camps. In my honest opinion, it was probably just a statement put out to the press to throw water on what was fast becoming an inferno.

Rihanna has not been cooperating with law enforcement or prosecutors in building a case against her boyfriend. That may be because she does actually love the guy and does not want to see him jailed or his career destroyed. However, I believe, as stated previously, decisions are being made that may not have been in Rihanna’s personal interest, but in the interest business, as well as Brown’s. Her choosing to remain silent is an eerie reminder of the hip-hop community’s “snitch code”, which says you keep your mouth shut. It’s all about money, power and protecting your investment at all costs! This is wrong, and Rihanna and her camp need to separate themselves from the standard bullshit protocol of the hip-hop community and face this incident head on. Treating this like it never happened, keeping silent or ignoring it entirely, won’t keep the press away and will only make things worse.

When all is said and done, everyone involved is setting an extremely bad example for millions of young fans. If Rihanna was forced to remain in an abusive relationship because of business as usual, the message conveyed is that beating women can and will be tolerated and overlooked for the sake of generating revenue. Women’s rights be damned! Furthermore, if she chooses to stay with Brown without a stipulation that he undergoes domestic abuse counseling, with or without serving a prison sentence, it will hurt her career in ways she cannot imagine. The backlash from women’s rights groups will be severe.

In Brown’s case, an apology won’t mean shit unless it’s backed up with action. If he does time in jail, it could serve as the great equalizer in all this and his fans may forgive him. If he manages to escape a prison sentence, he will have to dedicate himself and substantial sums of money to causes aimed at eradicating domestic violence.

All the people who think Rihanna got what she deserved or should simply forgive Brown for being a “true player” are damn fools. I don’t give two shakes of a rat’s ass what she may have done to set him off; he had no justification for putting his hands or mouth on her. Period! I wasn’t in the car that night to know what actually went down, but I do know a young woman was brutally abused and that people other than Brown must be held accountable for everything leading up to the unfortunate event.