Rihanna Regrets Returning to Abusive Brown

Calls Attack a "Wake Up Call" that She is Role Model to Young Girls

(AP)  Rihanna said Thursday that she regrets returning to ex-boyfriend Chris Brown after he left her bruised and battered during an April assault, warning other women facing domestic violence to not let themselves be blinded by love.

"It's completely normal to go back. You start lying to yourself," the 21-year-old singer said on "Good Morning America" in her first TV interview following the beating. "I'll say that to any young girl who is going through domestic violence: 'Don't react off of love.'"

Brown, 20, was arrested Feb. 8, hours after he was accused of beating Rihanna after the couple attended a pre-Grammy Awards party. He later pleaded guilty to felony assault and a judge ordered Brown and Rihanna to stay away from each other.

Photos: Rihanna

In the interview, Rihanna said she was ashamed to return to Brown after the attack. "That's embarrassing - that's the type of person I fell in love with. So far in love, so unconditional, that I went back," she said. "That's not what I want to teach people."

The attack occurred in Los Angeles' Hancock Park neighborhood as Brown drove a rented sports car. A Los Angeles police detective described a brutal attack in a search warrant affidavit filed in the case, stating Brown hit, choked and bit Rihanna and tried at one point to push her from the car. A photo of her bruised face was circulated on the Internet. In an interview with Glamour magazine, posted online Tuesday, she said about the leaked photo, "I felt like people were making it into a fun topic on the Internet, and it's my life."

In her interview with "Good Morning America," Rihanna said she soon realized that, as a role model to young women, her returning to Brown sent the wrong message. "When I realized that my selfish decision for love could result in some young girl getting killed, I could not be easy with that part. I couldn't be held responsible for telling them, 'Go back,"' she said.

"I didn't realize how much of an impact I had on these girls' lives until that happened," she added. "It was a wake-up call for me, big time, especially when I took myself out of the situation."

Brown's career suffered after his arrest, with sponsors dropping him and radio stations refusing to play his music. Both he and Rihanna had to cancel several high-profile appearances, including planned performances at the Grammy Awards the day of the attack.

Brown has apologized to fans and has said he has repeatedly apologized to Rihanna for the attack.

In Thursday's interview, Rihanna said, "I am strong. This happened to me. I didn't cause this. I didn't do it. This can happen to me and it can happen to anybody."

ABC will air more chunks of the interview on Friday's "Good Morning America" and then Friday evening on the news magazine "20/20."

Rihanna's interview coincides with the debut of her new single, "Russian Roulette," from her upcoming album, "Rated R." It's her first CD since 2007's multiplatinum "Good Girl Gone Bad."

[jbnewton09]

its amazing to me that anyone would compare her abuse to someone elses. thats like saying "well he didnt hit her that hard...." and her jealousy is what triggered this??? get a clue, most women are jealous, maybe not all the time, but sometimes, how about we blame it on the sorry excuse for a man that didnt learn one of the very first rules from preschool.....KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSELF!

[kamsack50]

That's why women like her get called a b----. Because in the end they do go back. That's why a woman's NO means YES and so on down the line.
If she went back, why doesn't she just shut up about it instead of drawing more attention to the fact.
Looks bad for the racial implication, too.

[hugomutt1576]

There seems to be more here than meets the eye as usual in these case.

[jclark7613]

So Rihanna is saying she loves him and wants to be with him but because the public is watching and her sales would go down is the real reason they are not together. She should have went to Oprah instead they would have prepared her better. She will never find true love or happiness because she will alway think what if about Brown.

[mari1963]

Rihanna is no role model for anyone. She's not battered - she's just a publicity hound. Sad.

[p94932]

she wont contribute anything worth while to pop culture. just a fart in the wind.

[MPHgrad]

She has a really good publicist.

[mejordelahistoria]

wow I guess chris brown is posting messages now also.

[lkregret]

Did CBC see when they showed the video of Chris Brown that under the yellow jacket he wore a wife beaters T shirt... Go figure he showing off that he is a girlfriend beater

[Sloughfoot]

Using the media and justice system for self promotion and monitary gain-file this with the MJ folder and bury it.

[CompletelyFrustrated]

Nice publicity stunt for the new album!

"I didn't cause this. I didn't do it." Grow up and own up to your role in this this started over your jealous rage because of another girl on Chris Brown's cell phone - Rihanna you DID start this by your violent reaction to a phone call/message!!!

Now you are a "battered woman" puhleeez! You want to see battered go to a shelter and see a woman battered and bloody because she spilled a glass of milk at dinner, and her xrays look like a road map because of scars and remnants of broken bone from getting beaten everyday!

While I will maintain that I do not condone domestic violence in any form, I do not buy Rihanna's story of being a battered woman! She is capitalizing on this incident to gain record sales!