You’d think that after being charged with felony assault, accepting a plea deal which involved community labor, years of probation and domestic violence counselling, as well as having your music withdrawn from radio stations, ads suspended and public appearances cancelled, the last thing you’d want to do is continue to contact the victim of your crime – but alas, Chris Brown keeps reaching out to Rihanna.
In 2009, Brown turned himself into police after he and his then-girlfriend Rihanna got into an argument which escalated into physical violence and resulted in her being hospitalised with visible facial injuries.
It’s been 10 years since then, and while the pair briefly got back together in 2012 and Rihanna told Oprah that forgiving him allowed her to “let go” and start “living again,” his constant attempts to contact her are pretty difficult to watch.
Just last week, Brown took to Rihanna’s Instagram to leave a series of thirsty comments on a photo she posted modelling her new SAVAGE X FENTY lingerie. He started by posting the flushed-cheeked emoji, then commented, “I wanna be the lamp,” referencing a prop in the background of her photo, and followed it all up with yet another smirking emoji face. Charming.
Sadly, even the fury of Rihanna’s army of fans doesn’t seem to deter Brown – this isn’t the first time he’s left suggestive comments on her social media. Last November, the singer was caught in a similar act, posting another flushed emoji on one of Rihanna’s lingerie shots.
The same year, Brown posted a baby photo of the singer to Instagram to wish her a happy birthday. He also posted a tweet about wanting to go on tour with her, Beyonce and Bruno Mars.
Brown has never responded to the backlash he receives each time he posts about Rihanna, or infiltrates her comments section. Rihanna hasn’t publicly reacted to Brown’s attempts at reconnecting, either. However, in a 2015 interview with Vanity Fair, the singer said that by becoming “a poster child for victims of domestic abuse” she felt forced to relive the traumatic incident over and over again.
“For me, and anyone who’s been a victim of domestic abuse, nobody wants to even remember it. Nobody even wants to admit it,” she said. “So to talk about it and say it once, much less 200 times, is like…I have to be punished for it? It didn’t sit well with me.”
It’s quite clear that Brown knows no boundaries when it comes to respecting the fact that Rihanna has moved on from their checkered past. If Ri’s army isn’t getting through to him, the question remains: when will he finally leave her alone?
If you, or anyone you know is a victim of domestic violence or abuse, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or 1800 RESPECT for support services.