- 2008
R&B Duo: Rihanna & Chris Brown?
After adamantly denying being involved with actor Josh Hartnett, Rihanna is romantically linked to 18-year-old R&B star Chris Brown (pictured at Clive Davis' Pre-Grammy Party). "He's one of my closest friends in the industry," Rihanna tells Allure in January. "He makes me feel like a teenager. I have to act and think like an adult so much. He makes me feel young again." In February, the pair is spotted awfully close in a pool in Jamaica.
Rihanna Covers Cosmo
Now a household name, Rihanna appears on the cover of Cosmopolitan, with newfound self-confidence. "A year ago, I would have sat here in my shell with my hands in my lap and been very shy," she explains to the magazine. "But now, I can be goofy and outgoing." The Grammy winner also gets to celebrate another single, "Don't Stop The Music," heating up the Billboard charts, reaching No. 3 – right behind Chris Brown's "With You."
Rihanna's "Very Close" With Chris
Continuing her magazine cover domination, Rihanna appears on the cover of Elle, where she briefly unseals her glossy lips regarding her "friendship" with Brown. "We've always been friends," the singer, who is currently on tour with Kanye West, tells the magazine, "but we're very close now."
- 2009
Domestic Violence Drama
Rihanna and Brown are embroiled in a domestic violence drama that results in Brown, 19, being charged with two felonies in the alleged beating of Rihanna. "Words cannot begin to express how sorry and saddened I am over what transpired," Brown says in a statement. In June, Brown is sentenced to five years probation and 180 days of community labor.
Rihanna Returns
Having not uttered a word about her assault, Rihanna steps forward in fashion, before breaking her silence about the incident. "This happened to me...It can happen to anyone," the singer, 21, tells ABC's Diane Sawyer. Rihanna, who readies for the release of her new album, Rated R, adds of Brown, "He was definitely my first big love."
Photo Credits
BIOGRAPHY (top to bottom): Kevin Mazur/WireImage; Kevin Mazur/WireImage; Ida Mae Astute/ABC
- Name
- Rihanna
- Real Name
- Robyn Rihanna Fenty
- Date of Birth
- February 20, 1988
- Birth Place
- St. Michael, Barbados
- Relationships
-
Chris Brown, ex-boyfriend (2008 to 2009)
