Rihanna "humiliated" by leaked photo after attack

Reuters - November 3, 2009 10:42 AM PST

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Pop singer Rihanna was named Woman of the Year by Glamour magazine on Tuesday after an attack at the hands of boyfriend Chris Brown that she said changed her life overnight.

"I went to sleep as Rihanna and woke up as Britney Spears. That was the level of media chaos that happened the next day," the 21 year-old singer said in her first interview since the assault in February.

The R&B singer told the December issue of Glamour magazine that she felt humiliated when a photo of her bruised and bloodied face was leaked to the media, but that she wanted to use the incident to alert young women to the "big secret" of abusive relationships.

"It was humiliating: that is not a photo you would show to anybody," she said. "I felt completely taken advantage of. I felt like people were making it into a fun topic on the Internet, and it's my life.

Brown, 20, was one of the fastest rising young R&B artists in the United States before his assault on his girlfriend of about a year on the eve of the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.

He was sentenced to five years probation and community service in August and has publicly apologized.

Rihanna, whose hits include "Umbrella" and "Disturbia" said the positive outcome of the story grabbing worldwide attention was that she could now speak up on behalf of young women in similar situations.

"Teenage girls can't tell their parents that their boyfriend beats them up...It's one of the things we (women) hide because it's embarrassing.

"I want to give as much insight as I can to young women because I feel like I represent a voice that isn't really heard. Now I can help speak for those women," she said.

Glamour editor-in-chief Cini Leive said the magazine had chosen Rihanna as its Woman of the Year because "in breaking her silence about what she calls the 'big secret' of domestic violence, she is sending an important message to young women that they too can move on, and succeed after personal challenges."

Rihanna, who is about to release a new album "Rated R", said she had "put everything I've wanted to say for the past eight months into my music", adding "it's super fearless -- which is exactly how I feel right now."

The album's first single, "Russian Roulette," finds her singing about a tumultuous relationship and ends with an ominous gunshot.

Rihanna has also recorded a TV interview, which is due to be aired on ABC's "Good Morning America" program on Thursday and Friday.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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  • Never Satisfied
    Ok Ri-Ri- I luv ur style and music, however get over it..stop discussing your business, Chris business to the public..u are making a big deal over this batter women syndrome it was not important to u b4 so y now...stop trying to ruin Chris...u both are young..u possibly got your ass kicked, so what!...Yes we all know its wrong to hit a women, but hell its wrong for us to hit a man..Did u hit first
    report abuseposted November 4, 2009 9:41 AM PST
  • Camillia
    I THINK SHE IS A YOUNG WOMEN LEARNING FROM LIFE NUT SHE GOT TO MAKE THE MOST OUT OF THIS SITUATION LOVE YOU LADIES MAKE A STAND FOR YOUR SELF AND SHOW POWER.
    report abuseposted November 4, 2009 3:39 AM PST
  • Camillia
    I THINK SHE IS A YOUNG WOMEN LEARNING FROM LIFE NUT SHE GOT TO MAKE THE MOST OUT OF THIS SITUATION LOVE YOU LADIES MAKE A STAND FOR YOUR SELF AND SHOW POWER.
    report abuseposted November 4, 2009 3:39 AM PST
  • lady J.
    NO RESPECT FOR THIS ONE..AS A CELEBRITY or any other women she in no way had to tolerate this type of violence abuse ..if she is so powerful in being a celebrity as the media exploits her to be then why the long violence relationship..I dont by her sad story I think at one point she welcomed it.
    report abuseposted November 3, 2009 9:06 PM PST
  • Truth
    Another sad case of ignorance poor amanda
    report abuseposted November 3, 2009 8:06 PM PST
  • Truth
    Another sad case of ignorance poor amanda
    report abuseposted November 3, 2009 8:06 PM PST
  • C
    All you see is the Chris Brown he plays in front of the camera, can you really judge the act he puts on for the millions he makes because he looks nice and sings well??? If he had done the same thing and had been some guy working at Wal- mart nobody would feel bad for him, you'd be sitting at home talking about the sorry a** that beat his gf. People need to look at it for the truth not the
    report abuseposted November 3, 2009 12:42 PM PST
  • C
    Marianne - if you someone who beats the %@!*# out of his gf is a saint, you are stupid! The guy had it in him all along and that wasn't the first time he'd done it. It just happened to be the time he got carried away and caught. By saying she deserved it - you condone everyone other act of domestic violence. People need to stop making excuses for these men and realize what a proble
    report abuseposted November 3, 2009 12:39 PM PST
  • FL Angel 26
    Amanda, it sounds like you need to be beat up by a man so you can feel what this poor girl went through whether she started it or not, Rihanna didn't leave Chris almost unconscious by slapping him, not that I'm condoning that either, but you need to stop making yourself look so naive with your comments.
    report abuseposted November 3, 2009 12:02 PM PST
  • Jackie
    Amanda, do you get the hell beat out of you? Sounds like it if you think she would "deserve" to have this happen to her.
    report abuseposted November 3, 2009 11:55 AM PST
comments 1-10 of 22  |< newest · < newer · older > · oldest >| 

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