Chris Brown: "I Never Ever Had Problems with Anger"
Credit: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic
Chris Brown says he was blindsided by his own brutal assault of then-girlfriend Rihanna in February of this year. "I never, ever had problems with anger," he tells Robin Roberts in a Friday interview for ABC News 20/20. "No domestic violence with any of my past girlfriends or any altercations." The 20 year-old singer says, "I was never that kind of person...It's like, 'How could I be that person?'"
Promoting his upcoming album Graffiti (on the heels of Rihanna's own comeback CD, Rated R), Brown concedes that "I was wrong for what I did...I would definitely say that it's not something that I look past or look over. Something that's really, really touchy." He adds: "I'm really sorry for -- for what went down."
Happier times: check out a slideshow of Chris and Rihanna's relationship
This is not Brown's first apology for the attack, of course. When he took to YouTube in July to declare, "I am very sad and very ashamed of what I've done," many criticized it -- including Rihanna, who later noted her ex looked like he was "reading off a TelePrompter."
Brown tells Roberts that, indeed, he was heavily coached for "three or four days" by PR advisors for that online statement. "My head wasn't really giving me a chance to be me," Brown says. "It was genuinely from me, but it wasn't projected genuinely."
See how Rihanna has evolved over the years
Of Brown's brief and controversial reunion with Rihanna weeks after the violent incident, he explains to Roberts that he wrote a song called "Changed Man" for his girlfriend. When she heard it, he says she broke into tears.
"I played the song for her when I first wrote it. And she cried."
And hearing Rihanna's critical remarks today, Brown says, is "really difficult...It hurts. It's just something that I have to be responsible for."
Stars have their day in court: check out the photos
As part of his sentencing, Brown is required to stay 100 yards away from Rihanna unless they are attending music industry events. They don't communicate, he says. "I've said, like, everything that I can with me and her," he explains. "Me and her have talked. Me and her have spoken about the situation," he said. "And she knows how sorry I am."
Tell Us What You Think
42i am not sayin what he did wasnt wrong but ppl we act like he is the 1st person in the world to do so much less the 1st celeb brian mcknight,tina turner Xhusband, halle berrys xhusband or boyfriend and the list goes on and some didnt get half the grief CB got y him everyone needs help in there time of fault and he is gettin his so let it go plzzz....no one was in the car im sure CB wasnt holdin her dwn and beatin her she cud have got out the car and left but no she wanted to be A STRONG GIRL and try 2 whoop a mans butt no not smart if a guy is angry and looks like he wants to hit u no matter how angry u r leave caz unless u plan to kill its not a gud idea no woman is strong than a man our bodies werent built that way unles ur a body builder or something and husband is the of ur fist lol 4give and pray change simple
F**K tht Chris Brown your the biggest douce bag I hope your records to sell I used to like u but then I found out your just a jerk. U said your sorry but to me it was fake you were acting. I hope u become poor and no one remembers your name Karma's a B**ch
i have to say your new cd 5 stars & u are so ladys boy
hay chirs its yo girl Brina iam your #1fan i love you and u r so sexy i hope to see u o and iam the chuby pretty one on yo myspace page n the pink polo u sexy love please resond back
Who said anyone was going to heaven or hell for anything? And now who is judging as you assume I have no God and look down on me if this were the case? I love how God is mentioned in the same paragraph as the F word and calling woman hoes. You discredit yourselves using all this holy talk and then making word choices like that. Not neccessary at all. Education....please!
Anon - Chris brown is sorry for what he did. Its obvious hes trying to make amends. Everyone makes mistakes and his talent (music) shouldnt suffer and be judged due to his actions. Personally I hope his album does well and in my opinion it sounds amazing (way betta than other albums including Rihanna's) I do feel for Rihanna but we all need to move on.
You didn't? Really??
Michael Vick kill dogs, PacMan Jones takes gun in club, R-Kelly molests young girls,Jay-Z slaps hoes,Bill Mahr dates hoes, Tommy Lee beats hoes, Tiger Woods cheats,etc.etc.etc. PEOPLE GET A LIFE AND GET OVER IT!!!! These people are human and they put their clothes on just like us so why consume yourselves with their lives??? Work on your own demons in the closets and let others work on theirs. Darn ya'll driving me crazy with these stupid azz comments as if ya'll are perfect... Oh sorry for the slang, but I have to be professional all day so I need a break sometimes..lol
@ Wake up, I am educated on DV on psychiatric help is not always needed for DV. If you're a counselor and have assessed him then you can make the recommendation that he has major issues and need "psychiatric" help!!! What u do need to realize is that "ye without sin, cast the first stone" Can u throw that stone? I think not. Chris is a nice lookin, talented young man but I'm a grown woman and don't need that to be the reason that I'm not judging him. Bottom line, you or others don't have a heaven or hell to put him in so GET OVER IT, RIHANNA HAS!!!! He was wrong, she was wrong, who haven't been?
Responding to WAKEUP! shut the F---UP! Like i said stop juding! Im quite sure ur not perfect! An for the record my opinion has nothing to do with him being good looking are v being VERY talented it has eveything to do with Im not GOD AND NEITHER IS YOU! HE IS THE ONLY JUDGE! ALSO you wasnt in that car its three sideS to every story you do the math!
Well, Chris Brown, I DO have a problem with you over-produced junk you call "music".
they both need to shut up and move on if they want everyone else to move on. stop using domestic violence as a platform to sell albums.
I agree AMEKA he is not a killer. BUt stop making it out like he did nothing, he beat her up and bad! You see a star because he is good looking and undeniably talented. Through his mistakes we see a person with major issues that needs psychiatric help. Get educated on domestic violence please!!!
First of all people Chirs Brown dont deserve this AS IF HE IS A KILLER! Rihanna is alive & well! Also she never was hospitalize nor near death hell this was a fight between the two of them and he obviously won the fight end of story! At the end of the day all of you people who is judging him need to get a life you are not GOD AND PLEASE BELIEVE HIS CAREER IS FAR FROM OVER!
Are you kidding me?! This woman beating Creep needs to Go Away and Stay Away. Never want to see his Ugly face again!
Us Weekly, your site sucks. I can't post because it's saying that I'm using profanity which I'm not... the word p-e-n-e is never used in my post. Those letters aren't even located next to each other within a word! Fix your moderating STAT!
And go ahead Brayna, you are speaking the truth!! Record execs who pay PR people only want to sell more records to make more money. The interview is to win back the public so that his image and money making power return. They don't care about him as a person. He is young and with intense therapy and self reflection there is hope. There is such an opportunity here if he can heal and speak to youth and young men on the impact of domestic violence on women. But he has to be a man a true HU-MAN to step up to the plate. I hope that he can....
It sounds like he is still coming to grips with what he did. I hope sooner rather than later he will get the full picture and take complete responsibility because then and only then can he heal. He showed signs of lack of anger control before he lost it that night i.e. busting out the windows of a range rover they were traveling in and shoving her into a wall. He needs to evaluate all of these problematic actions to see the problem and then attack it. The public sees him being smug and still not being entirely remorseful and this explains the angry reactions. He needs quality therapy and needs to stop listening to PR people who cant full the public
Best of luck to Chris and I will be buying his album on DECEMBER 8! Its about the music, i'm tired of crucifying a nineteen year old boy and people that have had previous DV situations stop making Chris out to be your attacker he's just a kid
Oh OK... What he woke up one morning and thought it might be neat to beat the crap out of his girlfriend? Not buying it Chris Brown so stop selling it. Of course he has anger issues....