Rihanna and Chris Brown Are Back Together

[TeamJordan23]

Modern day Ike and Tina Turner.

Rihanna and Chris Brown Are Back Together

By Elizabeth Leonard

Rihanna and Chris Brown are back together, PEOPLE has learned exclusively.

The pair have reunited almost three weeks after Brown, 19, allegedly battered the "Umbrella" singer on Feb. 8, a source tells PEOPLE.

"They're together again. They care for each other," says the source. The on-again couple are currently spending time together at one of Sean "Diddy" Combs's homes, on Miami Beach's Star Island.

Adds the source: "While Chris is reflective and saddened about what happened, he is really happy to be with the woman he loves."

In its latest issue, PEOPLE reports that Brown called Rihanna on her 21st birthday one week ago. "He called to wish her happy birthday," a source told the magazine. "They've reached out to each other. It's been mutual."

Brown was booked by LAPD for making criminal threats but the case has not yet been presented to the District Attorney, who will ultimately determine which charges, if any, will be prosecuted.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20262240,00.html

[foxfeet]

1. Of course. He's sorry.

:eyes:

[earth mom]

34. Of course he's sorry because he doesn't want her to press charges so that he'll go to jail.

Wonder how long before he attempts to take her life and maybe succeeds? :grr:

[Iggo]

2. Wha...? I'm shocked. SHOCKED, I tell you!!!!

:sarcasm:

[Ilsa]

3. Did the article tell us where to send memorial donations after he kills her? nt

[AlCzervik]

4. Hit me again Ike and put some stank on it.

smarten up Rhianna before it's too late.

[PM Martin]

5. I have respect for none of the parties involved.

[emilyg]

8. Neither do I.

[Stellabella]

12. Do you know how many times a battered woman tries to leave her

batterer? It's at least nine times.

And the most dangerous time for a woman is the moment she leaves and the weeks afterward. Abusers kill during this time frame.

Let's not blame the victim, shall we? That's not very progressive. Or Christian.

[tanngrisnir3]

13. Can you point out where anyone here is blaming the victim?

[Stellabella]

19. Yes. Posts 5 and 10.

Stating that he/she has 'no respect' for the woman.

And stating that Rihanna has done harm to young women. While I certainly wish she hadn't done it, her behavior is typical of abused women. THAT'S what needs to be pointed out.

[tanngrisnir3]

25. Sorry, but that does not equate w/blaming the victim, and it's....

IMO rather semantically somewhat less than honest to attempt to portray it as such.

[Stellabella]

27. Sorry, but you're wrong.

And your post is somewhat less than honest excusing the 'blame the victim' mentality.

[paulsby]

18. that;'s an average

some leave after one time. some NEVER leave. some give the guy a second chance, he doesn't fuck up again, and they stay together.

i've seen all scenarios in law enforcement.

but the 9 thing is an AVERAGE, if we accept that #is true. some are "one time and i'm fucking outta here", and others are literally dozens of times.

Rhianna, also has an agent, lawyers, and plenty of resources (money, etc.) so she has far more "power" to escape the relationship than your average woman (or man) does.

i am certainly not "blaming her" just giving some perspective.

the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior.

personally, as a man - *i* have been the victim of domestic violence in my younger days. in both cases, i was slapped in the face. i chose to stay. that was my choice.

otoh, i was not given a beatdown anywhere near what rhianna apparently suffered based on the photos i saw.

[Stellabella]

20. My dh ran a women's shelter. He's seen it all.

He said the most frustrating thing was watching them return to their abusers. Advocates have one theory that the terror these victims feel may be causing mental illness that keeps them in this situation.

[paulsby]

22. i think it's a complex

thang. i am always a bit leery of defining behavior as a "mental illness" but it is clearly destructive to keep returning to somebody who keeps causing you pain and injury.

since it is illogical, counterintuitive and contrary to human nature (self preservation), maybe it is an illness.

otoh, people engage in all sorts of self-destructive behavior (compulsive gambling, drinking, sexual exploits etc.) so maybe it's like that, except the agent of the destruction is the spouse. god only knows.

i do know some women just keep returning over and over and over again. it is simply mind boggling. i know my wife wouldn't put up with that. she'd use her mad kickboxing skillz on me, and say "see you later".

[Stellabella]

23. I agree.

Many women, especially those with children, end up returning because one of the kids has asthma and she doesn't have the money for meds. Or because she ends up living in her car because she's too ashamed to tell anyone what's going on. Why SHE'S ashamed is beyond me, but there it is.

[paulsby]

24. the cycle of violence

as much as it is a cliche it really is true. i interview victims, suspects, etc. all the time and there are certain commonalities.

men who abuse, for instance, disproportionately witnessed it being done to their mom when they were kids.

stuff like that.

it "normalizes" it for them.

[tanngrisnir3]

26. Having dealt with a lot of it in the lower income areas....

Some of the more determinent factors, to my experience, are whether there are kids around and if the woman works or not.

[Darth_Kitten]

29. But this gal has the eyes of millions on her.........

She could have left him for good. Not every woman in an abusive relationship has that kind of safety net.

[Threedifferentones]

38. Rihanna has more than enough money and fame to protect herself if she wishes

Move out and hire a couple bodyguards, or keep a legion of fans outside. Install a million dollar alarm system in the ol' mansion. Go live in a hotel in NYC Chris Brown does not know about.

Abuse is always sad. But, of all the cases of abuse I have witnessed or read of, this seems the least sensical. I do not know whether that makes it more or less tragic, but Rihanna seems to really want the abuse.

Many women depend on their abuser for financial support. They worry "how will I support the kids without his help?" Or even worse, "he can hire a better lawyer than me, what if he wins custody and then abuses them while I cannot help?"

Or they think "I really don't want to go live with mom again, so I will try to tough it out."

Or they fear "he knows every place I could go stay, I will never be safe."

Rihanna faces none of these problems. She can do basically whatever she wants, so she chooses to get punched? I am basically "blaming the victim" here, in some sense, or at least her upbringing. Even though she is not getting what she deserves, can it really be argued that Rihanna is not getting what she wants?

The most tragic part of this, to me, is not just that Mr. Brown is a punk who will probably hit her again. The saddest part is that, for whatever reason, and whether she has thought about it or not, Rihanna seems to feel she deserves abuse. It looks to me like her upbringing taught her to expect, and on some level to even want, an abusive and domineering man. People who hit other people generally do not change. She has every option open to her, and she is choosing abuse.

Thus, I suspect Rihanna's abuse abuse began long before she met Chris, and has dug its way in to her psyche, twisting her to sort of confuse pleasure and pain. She may even have been attracted to him because of how much of an asshole he is. Perhaps her father was abusive?

We really are a fucked up species!

[JeanGrey]

41. Except she doesn't have to "try". She is rich and has

bodyguards. Get real.

[dweller]

6. oh, then all is right with the world

i'm going to drown myself in the bathtub now.

peacefully
dp

[HeresyLives]

7. That's the usual pattern.

Women are beaten maybe 20 times, forgive and forget, before they finally give up.

Assuming they're still alive, of course.

[Pab Sungenis]

9. Okay, now _I_ want to smack her.

Some friends need to grab her by her throat and get her into therapy for Battered Wife Syndrome right now.

[geek tragedy]

10. Well, Rihanna has just done a great deal of harm to battered young women.

Way to be a role model.

:sarcasm:

[my2sense]

14. This is so sad

Unfortunately she will be sending a message to the young girls that admire her that's it's ok for a man to put his hands on you. I hope she can get the help she needs to get herself out of this situation.

[LisaL]

11. If true, this makes me sick.

She is rich, young, so she is not dependent on him. WTF is she thinking?

[HughBeaumont]

15. Hot Chicks with Douchebags.

"He's really a sweet guy. You just don't know him."

Often times women don't have the luxury of leaving their abusers because of either financial ties or fear. Neither one is the case here. Rhianna isn't exactly poor or dependent on this douche and I'm sure there'd be more than a few people who would drop Chris Brown in a ditch should he inevitably smack her around again.

DTMFA!

[1]

16. yay! i mean omg! lol! nsfw! roflmao! tcfs! lol! i am so happy...

[Tatiana]

17. I think she really loves him. I don't think the feeling is mutual.

It's sad. She's stupid for going back to him; he'll only beat on her again. It might not be this month or next but that's the pattern for abusers. Until he gets help and learns how to manage his anger, it's just a matter of time until the next time he beats her.

She's young, though. And in love. I hate to judge. I only hope one day she finds the strength to leave.

[Bluebear]

21. A horrible message being sent to young women everywhere, where, where, ay ay ay.

[spanone]

28. the new bobby & whitney?

[dustbunnie]

33. Or Amy Winehouse and her prize?

[Cash_thatswhatiwant]

30. sickening. does anyone know if chris brown can still be fully prosecuted if rihanna

makes up with him and doesnt testify or even drops all charges?

[rvablue]

35. Since it happened in CA, yes he can still be prosecuted and probably will be

CA has a domestic violence law that either allows or requires (I know, big difference but I can't remember which it is) DA's to still prosecute even if the battered person no longer wants to press charges.

It's meant specifically for situtaions like this where the battered wants to go back to the batterer.

[Cash_thatswhatiwant]

37. thank God. nt

[malaise]

31. No surprise here

This was the expected result.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

32. And the beat(ing) goes on.... This is just too sad for that poor delusional woman. This is also a

terrible message to send to all young women.

[rvablue]

36. After seeing that pic of Rihanna's face why was Brown only charged with "making criminal threats"?

[mackerel]

39. Because she made him do it and he'll never do it again.

[MISSDem]

40. The abuser is always sorry and the abused always forgives him

until she winds up dead.