The Clause

The first and last time I saw Chris Breezy and Princess RiRi was at the Jingle Ball concert this past December. The crowd went wild when the headliner announced a surprise guest performer. She was a vision and he stared deeply into her eyes as they sang their hit remix of “Umbrella.”

The musical duet was a match made in heaven—and according to many in the business, also in real life.

The couple had been photographed all lovey dovey across the world but had played coy with media probing. Of course, I thought, this was because they were so in love—they didn’t need the publicity to solidify what they had. How very honorable—following the example of her music mentor Jay-Z and his long time unconfirmed romance with diva extraordinaire, Beyonce.

Now we know there was dark trouble in paradise for these R&B sensations—what really went on under her umbrella?

News surfaced during pre-Grammy buzz that Chris Brown had allegedly been involved in an altercation with a woman in L.A.’s Hancock Park neighborhood in the wee hours of Sunday morning. Rihanna’s Grammy glam squad was told she had been in a car accident and would be running late.

Hours later, they were told to go home—the belle of the ball would be a no show. Soon to follow was the announcement that her beau, Chris Brown, would also miss the highly anticipated Grammy Awards, thus leaving undeniable holes in the line–up of star studded performances, and wagging tongues in the audience.

Speculation saturated Internet gossip sites and blogs. Who was this woman in the park? What had led up to the 911 call? And how did Rihanna fit into this picture? Piece of the puzzle were slowly gathered and the night’s shocking events brought to light.

Now we know the troubled power couple had spent the evening at Clive Davis’s Pre-Grammy party in Beverly Hills, leaving around midnight.

According to law enforcement sources, a text message from another woman—possibly a booty call? —is what sparked this infamous night. An argument ensued and according to Rihanna, Brown threatened to kill her and attacked her with his fists. (Original speculation that he had beaten her with an umbrella is false—come on people.)

Neighbors who heard a woman screaming made a 911 call. Police found a battered woman at the scene, with Brown nowhere in sight.

Brown could face felony charges of domestic battery, or worse—felony criminal threats. At this point, the Los Angeles County District has sent the initial report back to L.A. law enforcement for further investigation.

Some radio stations have stopped playing his music, all recent scheduled appearances have been cancelled and endorsements, including his famed Wrigley gum commercials, have been suspended. Rihanna celebrated her twenty-first birthday last week, privately, having also cancelled all scheduled appearances and performances including her lavish birthday bash.

So what now? Fans of the duo, like myself, are left to grapple with the reality of the situation, however incomplete our knowledge of what went down may be.

I idolized their youthful success, and down–to–earth personas alay with the perfection of such a romance in the grand scheme of pop culture.

They were the rare football captain and head cheerleader you could get behind!

I don’t want to believe that Chris Brown, with his boyish grin and tale of childhood abuse, could be capable of such outrageous behavior.

On the other hand, the evidence we have seems stacked against him.

“Words cannot begin to express how sorry and saddened I am over what transpired…I am seeking the counseling of my pastor, my mother and other loved ones and I am committed, with God’s help, to emerging a better person. Much of what has been speculated or reported on blogs and/or reported in the media is wrong. While I would like to be able to talk about this more, I can’t until the legal issues are resolved,” Chris Brown said in his official press release a week after the alleged incident.

“Until the legal issues are resolved?” Is that him referring to the fact that he could end up in prison for years depending on his sentence?

Kind of a pathetic excuse for an apology. I want to believe there is more to the story, but ultimately someone was attacked regardless of who provoked it.

His family and friends have come to his defense claiming he is not the kind of person who would lash out at a woman and leave her unconscious in a park.

Unfortunately—regardless of his past nature—that’s exactly what he did. Fans and friends alike thought the happy–go–lucky persona was real, even believing his interview with GiANT magazine in August, 2007 where he talked about living in fear of his stepfather who was violently abusive to his mom.

Red flag number one—abuse is a difficult cycle to break. Although the stepfather has recently come forward denying the claims, Brown’s allegedly abusive childhood sheds light on a behavior that could run much deeper then just one night.

Friends of the couple have raised questions about whether this was an isolated incident—or just a final blow in a history of violence for the pair.

While the reality of Brown’s version of his past is tragic, so far he has dealt with it poorly. Fleeing the scene of the crime, waiting until well into Sunday evening to turn himself in to the police, reportedly escaping to Vegas with his buddies and waiting a full week to acknowledge the incident publicly.

Does the man not understand the serious consequences of what he has done—or even has been doing?

Maybe part of the problem is us—the fans. We cringe at the thought of what this really means. Our hero has a violent temper. He is abusive and slow to own up to his actions.

Does he deserve the adoration of his fans, who are paying for his $2,000–a–day Lamborghini?

Does he feel invincible because of us—the screaming fans that treat him like a god?

This fallen deity is not the man we thought, but because of us he can afford to hire teams of people to create the Chris Brown we all know and love.

For me as a woman, the fact that a man whom I had cheered for and sang every word of “Forever” with—holding on to his every charming word—is a man who would render a woman bloody and bruised alone in a park at 12:30 a.m. is disappointing.

In a world full of celebrity idols, this comes as a timely reminder that we as fans don’t know what goes on backstage.

For young powerhouses, the pressure of early success can have dangerous results.

Now that their stormy secrets are coming out—what will become of the smitten duo we once thought we knew?