Chris Brown’s Birthday Message For Rihanna Draws Mixed Reviews From Fans
Chris Brown’s Birthday Message For Rihanna Draws Mixed Reviews From Fans
Chris Brown and Rihanna may no longer be an item, but the “Loyal” singer clearly still cares about his ex. Almost as soon as RiRi’s 30th birthday began Tuesday (Feb. 20), Brown shared a happy birthday message to her on his Instagram.
With the simple caption of “HAPPY BIRTHDAY @badgalriri,” the picture seems to be a childhood photo of the Barbados-born singer.
The two started dating in 2008, though they met sometime around 2005 when they were both still teenagers. Their relationship took a violent turn in 2009 when Brown assaulted Rihanna in a rented car on the eve of that year’s Grammy Awards following Clive Davis’ annual pre-Grammy party.
In his 2017 documentary, Chris Brown: Welcome to My Life, Brown opened up about that night, saying it stemmed from a disagreement about his past relationships, and ended in him violently hitting her “with a closed fist” while driving. A month later, Brown was charged with felony assault and making criminal threats and in June 2009 he pleaded guilty to a felony assault charge and accepted a plea deal that included five years probation, six months of community service and one year of mandatory domestic violence counseling; a judge also instituted a five-year restraining order that required Brown to say at least 50 yards away from Rihanna at all time.
The two briefly got back together sometime around 2012, putting out the aptly named duet “Nobody’s Business” on Rihanna’s LP Unapologetic.
In an interview with Billboard in 2014, Brown said the incident is something people bring up to hold his career back: “As long as you’re doing something good, people will always bring up old stuff or negative stuff because they don’t want you to surpass a certain level or elevate. But as long as you have your head on straight, it shouldn’t matter what people want to say.”
As for what Instagram commenters thought of the birthday post, thoughts ranged from supportive hardcore fans still shipping Rihanna and CB, asking “can ya’ll just get back together” to confusion and anger from those who are still affected by the incident: “What is your purpose? Really?”
Twitter had a similar mixed bag of reactions. Check out a handful of them below.
Imagine getting beat up by your bf and your mom says “he just wants to say happy birthday”
Chris Brown Telling Rih Happy Birthday On IG Made My Entire Day
Chris Brown fans really want us to forgive his woman beating ass. Domestic abuse ISNT a mistake it’s a CONSCIOUS choice. Rihanna going back to him didn’t excuse his behavior as most domestic abuse victims do it continuously. He was cancelled after that & always will be.
Chris Brown posting Rih & telling her happy bday just made me so happy
still hope it’s them inna end
Chris Brown is that ex that don’t know how to let go
