In a rare interview discussing her 2009 assault, Rihanna appears to be opening up in full about Chris Brown in her forthcoming interview with Oprah. The feature, arriving on Sunday (Aug. 19) via the OWN network, has the Bajan singer in tears over the “circus” that erupted around the Grammy-night fight.
Rihanna appears to have been concerned about Brown’s bigger problems even before he beat her that night in L.A.
“As angry as I was, as angry and hurt and betrayed, I just felt like he made that mistake because he needed help … and who’s going to help him?” she tells Oprah in a new preview. “Nobody’s going to say he needs help. Everybody’s going to say he’s a monster without looking at the source … and I was more concerned about him.”
The curiosity of this interview is the rawness of the format, an hour-long television special on one of the most successful pop stars today whose publicity has since been embattled by her ex-boyfriend’s behavior and comments to follow. Leaving a promotional persona behind — moving beyond her “Battleship” role or doing publicity for a tour — this is a public opportunity to see Rihanna at raw, a rarity for such a guarded profession.
Rihanna is seemingly perpetually mid-album cycle, though there’s no single or album to push at current state.
What questions do you hope Oprah asks Rihanna? Do you think it’s a good move for her career?