NEW YORK (AP) — Rihanna said Thursday that she regrets going back to ex-boyfriend Chris Brown after he left her bruised and battered during a February assault, warning other women facing domestic violence to not let themselves become blinded by love.

"It's completely normal to go back. You start lying to yourself," the 21-year-old singer said on "Good Morning America" in her first TV interview following the beating. "I'll say that to any young girl who is going through domestic violence: 'Don't react off of love.'"

Brown, 20, was arrested Feb. 8, hours after he was accused of beating Rihanna after the couple attended a pre-Grammy Awards party. He later pleaded guilty to felony assault and a judge ordered Brown and Rihanna to stay away from each other.

In the interview, Rihanna, who is no longer with Brown, said she was ashamed to go back to him after the attack. "That's embarrassing — that's the type of person I fell in love with. So far in love, so unconditional, that I went back," she said. "That's not what I want to teach people."

The attack occurred in Los Angeles' Hancock Park neighborhood as Brown drove a rented sports car. A Los Angeles police detective described a brutal attack in a search warrant affidavit filed in the case, stating Brown hit, choked and bit Rihanna and tried at one point to push her from the car. A photo of her bruised face was circulated on the Internet. In an interview with Glamour magazine, posted online Tuesday, she said about the leaked photo, "I felt like people were making it into a fun topic on the Internet, and it's my life."

In her interview with "Good Morning America," Rihanna said she soon realized that, as a role model to young women, her returning to Brown sent the wrong message. "When I realized that my selfish decision for love could result in some young girl getting killed, I could not be easy with that part. I couldn't be held responsible for telling them, 'Go back,'" she said.

"I didn't realize how much of an impact I had on these girls' lives until that happened," she added. "It was a wake-up call for me, big time, especially when I took myself out of the situation."

Brown's career suffered after his arrest, with sponsors dropping him and radio stations refusing to play his music. Both he and Rihanna had to cancel several high-profile appearances, including planned performances at the Grammy Awards the day of the attack.

Brown has apologized to fans and has said he has repeatedly apologized to Rihanna for the attack.

In August, Brown said he was still in shock about his actions. He also revealed that he called his mother, who was a domestic violence victim, the night of the attack and broke down.

ABC will air more chunks of the interview on Friday's "Good Morning America" and then Friday evening on the news magazine "20/20." Brown also will recount his perspective in an interview to air Friday on MTV.

Rihanna's interview coincides with the debut of her new single, "Russian Roulette," from her upcoming album, "Rated R." It's her first CD since 2007's multiplatinum "Good Girl Gone Bad."

In Thursday's interview, Rihanna said, "I am strong. This happened to me. I didn't cause this. I didn't do it. This can happen to me and it can happen to anybody."

 

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I am really, really tired of the Rihanna/Chris Brown situation. Yes, the fight should not have happened, butI am sick of people like Oprah, Ellen, Dianne Sawyer and others pretending to be moral compasses as they seek show ratings on the backs of these two people. Poor Rihanna is crying all the way to the bank

by   
Jance9
November 6, 2009, 12:42 pm
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@JACKAZZ-JAZZ- GREAT!!! MORE CLACKING-DINGLEBERRY-ROT!!!!!--JUST WHO DO U THINK WOULD BE POSTING ON A 'BLACK' website??????

by   
Rubinisk
November 6, 2009, 12:41 pm
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.. I guess you are directing your statement to me. One question. Are you a black female ? If you are I will end it right here. If you are a white female, normal black male (not affiliated with some whacked religion), white male, we can continue the conversation. I am not doing the debating thing without logic today with any black females, it gives me a headache.. I don't talk to them and don't even look their way only if I have too.....continue if you are NOT a black female. Thanks!! :). smiling here.

by   
Jazflutesmith
November 6, 2009, 11:34 am
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It doesn't matter if she hit him first. He should be man enough to diffuse the situation and never return to it . If he had done that he would not be scorned as he is now.
Men should never hit women, period.

by   
FiftyCyn
November 6, 2009, 11:25 am
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Another thing. Extraordinary pretty females such as Aishywaria Rai, Berry, and Rihanna and a few others are going to make it because they are beautiful. Their skin is light, they are built cute. Trust me, society gives them a free pass because they are beautiful, not because they worked hard.
The young teacher who was accused of having sex with her student was soooo beautiful , her lawyer told the judge, "She is to pretty to go to jail". She did NOOOO time........craziness
where is seven ???

by   
Jazflutesmith
November 6, 2009, 11:22 am
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This is not old news, if it continues, it should be spotlighted. See statistic from 2006,
Illinois, had 39 domestic-related homicides/ 114,921 reported cases of domestic violence in 2006. 2009 women are still being abused, beat up, murdered.In order for this to not happen to your daughter, we need to keep the spotlight on it and instill in our sons and daughters a high self esteem, self-respect and love for one another.
Rhi must have never heard the old adage “if he hits you once, he’ll hit you again’. Thank God for my mom and grandma, their wisdom and their love.

by   
FiftyCyn
November 6, 2009, 11:19 am
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Then you wonder why black people are sooooo screwed up. It is set up like that and we play into it. Yes, Brown should not have hit the girl, but did the girl hit too ??? This has happened once before and what I have heard from my partners in L.A. is that Rihanna always starts the fight. You cannot win....

by   
Jazflutesmith
November 6, 2009, 11:18 am
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The dialog in here is not good. First of all we have a black man who did a terrible thing. We all know that when it comes to anything a black man does negatively, or accused of regardless of innocence, because black men are always guilty he is by himself. It is and will always be black men by themselves against all odds (black women trying to get notoriety, money, white men and white women). You cannot win. You can be accused of something and never did anything and society will try to castrate you, label you and put you to the side. It is crazy. Black men against the world.

by   
Jazflutesmith
November 6, 2009, 11:15 am
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My ex is from the same island,that Rhi is from,and I will NEVER forget,a FEW years ago,he said that this 'young girl' was going to MAKE it in the music industry---I JUST told him to 'shut-up and pay me my ____ child support check'!!!!
From his blitherings/blatherings--from what I remembered,she worked VERY HARD,and diligent, to get to where she is today!!!

by   
Rubinisk
November 6, 2009, 9:52 am
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Yep, it is old news. At this point they both want to use this to sell records and books. I think this hose has been beat to death, let's bury it already!

by   
Dkg316
November 6, 2009, 9:39 am
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Old news, let's move on

by   
RaaSaa
November 6, 2009, 8:12 am
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Black Women stop selling yourself short. Rhianna is not in denial,there is nothing she did to deserve a beat down.

by   
Dleaks
November 5, 2009, 6:17 pm
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no one should hit anyone, it is wrong and can get one into serious trouble. It is unfortunate that when a black man does anything wrong or just accused, the full extent of the law/rules/due process are applied with no regard for the word, "Innocent". It makes one want to plan the unthinkable if you have a terminal illness. lolololol

by   
Jazflutesmith
November 5, 2009, 3:18 pm
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Shaharazad Ali said "black females shut your mouth and stop sassing back"...Now for me I do not care, cause I do not have money like that to recover from something like that. The average brother would be locked up., BUT there is some validity in what Ali used to say...iamout

by   
Jazflutesmith
November 5, 2009, 3:15 pm
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