Did Rihanna Wait Too Long to Talk?
Posted Wednesday 04 November 03:05 PM By: Kara Warner

When news of
Chris Brown's attack on
Rihanna broke last February -- on the night of the
Grammy Awards, no less -- the entertainment world was completely and utterly shocked. That is, until photos of Rihanna's battered face were leaked for all the world to see.
Now, eight months later, Rihanna is speaking out about her ordeal -- first, in a sit-down interview with
Diane Sawyer for TV's '
Good Morning America' and '
20/20,' and also in a revealing profile in
Glamour magazine. While no one can fault the young pop star for wanting privacy and time to recover, should she have broken her silence earlier?
Cast your vote and read what experts think after the jump!
"Obviously she's coming out now because she's got this album coming out," says Nekesa Moody, Music Editor for The Associated Press. "It kind of behooved her to wait until she could explain her story. [Also], there was a time when she couldn't talk about it. Chris Brown was going through the criminal justice system he just was formerly sentenced two months ago. I think she waited for all that to play out, which was pretty smart. It would be difficult for anyone to talk about this, but she always knew that whenever her album came out, she would have to talk about this. She came through something so public, you can't avoid it forever."
Kim Davis, programming manager for
AOL Music agrees. "Rihanna didn't have an obligation to speak about the attack or her attacker ... Waiting to speak only left us, her fans, wanting something from her more. Was she OK? She let the photogs and gossip rags do the speculating. She was smart to keep quiet. This is not to say that it was strictly a career move -- the girl went through some scary stuff. But look at her now. She's transformed. Take one look at her 'Rated R' album cover and you'll see a girl that's sending a message: 'I'm stronger.'"
Meanwhile Brown, who was sentenced to five years probation and community service in August for the attack, has not fared so well.
"Chris Brown, in stark contrast, won't stop detailing his every emotion through every imaginable medium -
Twitter, TV, you name it," Davis says. "The result of such an outpouring is, inevitably, a confused message. He's sorry, he wants her back, he's angry at
Oprah. Let's face it, headlines are not his reputation's friend."
"I don't think he's 'done,' " Moody says of Brown's diminished career prospects. "I think there's still a lot of resentment. People might like the music but that doesn't mean they'll love the person. I don't think that his apology to her was necessarily the greatest. But I don't think that anyone in this era of entertainment is 'done.' If R. Kelly can come back ... so many people have come back after doing really bad things, but at the same time, he has his work cut out for him."
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Rihanna Snapshots
NEW YORK - OCTOBER 19: Singer Rihanna visits Milk Studio on October 19, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Ray Tamarra/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Rihanna
Getty Images
Getty Images North America
NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 03: Singer Rihanna enters the John F. Kennedy International Airport on November 03, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Ray Tamarra/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Rihanna
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NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 03: Singer Rihanna enters the John F. Kennedy International Airport on November 03, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Ray Tamarra/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Rihanna
Getty Images
NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 03: Singer Rihanna enters the John F. Kennedy International Airport on November 03, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Ray Tamarra/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Rihanna
Getty Images
NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 03: Singer Rihanna enters the John F. Kennedy International Airport on November 03, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Ray Tamarra/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Rihanna
Getty Images
NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 03: Singer Rihanna enters the John F. Kennedy International Airport on November 03, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Ray Tamarra/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Rihanna
Getty Images
NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 03: Singer Rihanna enters the John F. Kennedy International Airport on November 03, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Ray Tamarra/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Rihanna
Getty Images
NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 03: Singer Rihanna enters the John F. Kennedy International Airport on November 03, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Ray Tamarra/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Rihanna
Getty Images
NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 03: Singer Rihanna enters the John F. Kennedy International Airport on November 03, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Ray Tamarra/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Rihanna
Getty Images
NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 03: Singer Rihanna enters the John F. Kennedy International Airport on November 03, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Ray Tamarra/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Rihanna
Getty Images
NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 03: Singer Rihanna leaves her Gramercy Park hotel on November 03, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Ray Tamarra/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Rihanna
Getty Images
Comments
(28)Add a comment
Wednesday 04 November
By Joe
Shame on Rihanna using the all of a sudden interest in telling her side of the story to boost record sales! If she really cared about helping other young girls avoid physical abuse she would had spoke about it earlier. Does not suprise me though she is not as great a singer as she thinks and Im sure she could use all the help she can get to boost sales- After all she needs to be able to keep up to the mortgage payments on that multi million pad she just purchased in Beverly Hills. It's obvious we were only initally intrigued by her due to her exotic and unique look- The girl CANT sing!
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Wednesday 04 November
By Reena
You are soooo right!
Friday 06 November
By La-Tracshia
I agree she can't sing at all.
Wednesday 04 November
By Bstill
I don't think she waited to long too speak on this. It had to be a highly emotional experience and sorting through all of that must have been painful and traumatic for her. I thought she handled it well.
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Wednesday 04 November
By Lisa
Oh puhleeese!!!!!! Are you SERIOUS????!!!!!!!
Friday 06 November
By tonjanaau
of course she waited because she had to get her lies together. she started the fight and got what she signed up for. For all those young girls who look up to Rihanna.....dont write a check your a** cant cash. she should go back to Babrados and make calypso music. we dont need her!
Wednesday 04 November
By andy
if she can't handle that how's she ever going to serve in the military!
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Wednesday 04 November
By BLKG0LD
She did wait too long, because I do not care to hear her story now. Old news.
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Wednesday 04 November
By GLO
Rhianna should have listened to her father and stayed away from Chris Brown after he busted her face up. Instead she got back together with him for some period, sending the message to the young girls that follow her that violence is just a normal relationship hurdle. When she finally comes out and speaks of it, she uses Britney Spears notoriety following her mental breakdown as a metaphor. Britney's problems were out of her control, but Rhianna didn't have to accept a violent abuser as a boyfriend. It was obviously not his first attack on her.
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Wednesday 04 November
By Lisa
Sorry, but she is plain, unadulterated, TRASH!!
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Wednesday 04 November
By c
I think they meant "formally" sentenced. Not sure how one is "formerly" sentenced.
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Wednesday 04 November
By ylg
I would have been more sympathetic if her interview didn't coincide with her new album, but there is no rule book on life. She spoke out when she was ready.
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Wednesday 04 November
By Lisa
First of all, she's under no obligation to say anything at all. Second, people deal with abuse differently. She very well may not have been ready. I wouldn't go beating up on her again by questioning her motives.
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Wednesday 04 November
By L.Borja
Rihanna is just like any other woman who is a drama queen. She obviously likes being slapped around by her "man". Otherwise she wouldn't have been within 2 feet of this jerk after what he did. Now she's got an album out so needs the interviews.
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Wednesday 04 November
By mhphammes
When people talk about this situation, why no one mentions the fact that she was reading his messages and thought it was okay to hit him because she did not like what she read. They were not married and she has no right to hit him anymore than he should put his hands on her. She is not a victim but an instigator, they both should have been sent to counseling at the very least. If violence by men is wrong then violence done to men must be equally wrong. Her making comments at the same time she releases a new CD is a coincidence I am sure she would not take advantage of sympathy to sell a few more CD's.
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Wednesday 04 November
By juaelz
Ouch! Drama Queen, oh yes. Do I care? Nope. Do I think Rihanna thought it was okay to hit on Chris and get away with it yes. I know I'm in the minority but I believe the Chris and Rihanna had a two-side violent relationship. No man should hit a woman, but no woman should hit a man and expect that he will continue to allow her to hit him. That's just crazy. Will I buy the album, NO. Didn't like the Umbrella song, Don't think the girl can sing.
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Wednesday 04 November
By Sarah
Right- I totally agree. Noone seems to care that she supposedly broke a bottle over her own brother's head. Sounds like her and Chris Brown beat the hell out of each other- I don't forgive Chris for what he did, but I don't sympathize with her either. I don't want to hear her talking about how traumatic the situation was- she went back to him didn't she?! They are both so fake.
Wednesday 04 November
By Dee
I think Rihanna is strange anyway...I have never even heard her sing but I have seen photos of her and by the way she dresses in all black all the time, she appears to be a bit on the strange side. However, she also could possibly dress the way she does to get attention. Personnaly, I really don't care to hear her story...I wish that she had spoken sooner because this is old news but there are people who still want to hear it. As far as the domestic violence is concerned, she needs to count her blessings and move on. Chris Brown has and I do think that she's just as violent as he is and he just showed her that when you play with fire, you do get burned.
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Wednesday 04 November
By Maria
Who wants to hear her story anyway.and why she wait this long to talk.this girl can't sing.
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Wednesday 04 November
By tinkerbell511
Noone can sya for sure that Rhianna is doing this because of the release of her new album. She probably wanted to say it before, but she was probably holding out on getting back together with Chris, so she didnt want to mess up whatever was left of their relationship, not realizing that it was already over. Then she probably didnt want to hurt Chris and get him into more trouble with the law, last she was probably told to stay mum by her reps. I'm sure it wasn't her decision alone. Whatever her reasons, she still will make albums sales regardless, and the fact of the matter is for whatever reason shes comming out with the information, the damage has already been done in her life.
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