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Home / Entertainment

Chris Brown: 'Of course I remember Rihanna assault'

Herald online
1 Sep, 2009 02:56 AM9 mins to read

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Shamed singer

Chris Brown

is now refuting a widely-circulated video clip of him saying he couldn't remember assaulting Rihanna.

Brown may be a lot of things, but forgetful he ain't, so he says.

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In a spectacular 180-degree turn, Brown is now trashing reports that he told veteran TV interviewer

Larry King

during an interview that he couldn't remember assaulting former girlfriend

Rihanna

.

Brown says he "just misspoke" during the interview, and that the video clip "is not representative of what I said."

In a detailed statement to

People.com

, the

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Forever

singer says: "There have been reports on the Internet that I didn't remember what happened that night with Rihanna. I want to try and set things straight.

"That 30 seconds of the interview they used of me was taken from a one hour interview during which that same question was asked something like four or five times – and when you look at the entire interview you will see it is not representative of what I said.

"The first four times – or however many times it was – I gave the same answer – which was that I didn't think it was appropriate for me to talk about what happened that night. I said it was not right for me and it really wasn't fair to Rihanna. The fifth time – or whatever it was – I just misspoke. I was asked, 'Do you remember doing it?' and I said, 'No.'

"Of course I remember what happened. Several times during the interview, my mother said that I came to her right afterwards and told her everything. But it was and still is a blur. And yes, I still can't believe it happened because it is not me or who I am, nor is what happened like anything I have ever done before.

"As I have said several times previously, I am ashamed of and sorry for what happened that night and I wish I could relive that moment and change things, but I can't. I take full responsibility for my actions. What I have to do now is to prove to the world that this was an isolated incident and that is not who I am, and I intend to do so by my behavior now and in the future."

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About-face

As we reported earlier today, Brown broke his silence about that fateful night when he brutally attacked then girlfriend

Rihanna

, clearly telling TV titan

Larry King

that he didn't remember the incident.

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In his first interview since the headline-grabbing incident in February, R&B star Brown, 20, told CNN's King that he had no memory of his actions, and that he still loves the

Umbrella

singer.

"When I look at it now, it's just like, wow, like, I can't - I can't believe that - that actually happened," he said in the interview, to be aired in the US on Wednesday.

Brown was last week sentenced to five years' probation and six months' hard labour after pleading guilty to assaulting Rihanna.

video

A judge ordered Brown to stay 100 yards away from Rihanna for the next five years, but despite that, he says he still loves her - and that they'll "always be friends".

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Quizzed by King about his former relationship, Brown said he had found it "difficult" not being able to see Rihanna.

On the subject of her dating other men, he said: "I definitely would be affected by it, but, at the end of the day, I mean, we're not together, so, if she's happy, I'm cool." He added, "We'll always be friends."

Do you remember doing it?

The juiciest part of the interview has to be his claim that he had no recollection of assaulting Rihanna.

During the candid interview, King asked: "Do you remember doing it?"

"No," Brown replied.

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"You don't remember doing it?" King persisted.

Describing his reaction to reading police reports about the incident, Brown said: "I'm in shock, because, first of all, that's not who I am as a person, and that's not who I promise I want to be."

The police report, released last week, described in detail how Brown threatened to kill Rihanna after repeatedly punching, biting and choking her as she struggled to exit the passenger side of his car following a pre-Grammy bash in Los Angeles.

A sworn statement revealed how the incident began, describing how Rihanna read text messages on Brown's phone from "a woman who Brown had a previous sexual relationship with".

In the CNN interview Brown says he is now facing up to his actions and is ready to face his punishment, starting with his community service.

"They want me to pick up trash, remove graffiti. I'm a hard worker. It's something I'm willing to do... I made a mistake and it was just something that I have to live up and own [sic]."

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Abusive home

Brown, who appeared on King alongside his mother

Joyce Hawkins

and a lawyer, described how he grew up in an abusive home, where Hawkins was allegedly a victim of abuse.

"I used to be scared to go to bed," Brown said.

"Nobody taught us how to love one another. Nobody taught us a book on how to - how to control our emotions or our anger," he said. "I wish I could have changed that night."

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And in another insightful interview with

People

magazine, Brown describes how he called his mother the night of the attack.

"I was distraught... I went to my mom on the same night and told [her] what happened and broke down," he said.

Describing the night her son broke the news of the assault to her, Hawkins said it was "the most painful moment of my life," and said she was "totally shocked".

"I know that Chris has never, ever been a violent person. Never," she said.

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I made a mistake

As for Brown's immediate future, he says: "I just need to prove to people I can be a role model."

"I made a mistake," he added.

The verdict

Brown's appearance on King is all part of the shamed singer's road to redemption, his tour de 'damage limitation' force.

And while his contrition may be reflective and diverting, we can't help but wonder: Right of reply is one thing, but isn't dredging up the past and proclaiming your love for the woman you assaulted a wee bit distasteful?

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The rest

Caption this:

Miley Cyrus

and her new bosom-buddy

X-rated factor

Poor Steve. The gormless 50-year-old appeared as a contestant on Brit TV talent show

X Factor

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over the weekend and caused a wee bit of excitement.

Prior to standing before the judges (

Danii Minogue

,

Cheryl Cole

,

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Louis Walsh

and

Simon cowell

) he bashfully declared, "I just can’t believe how nervous I can get, but I’m determined to see it through to the bitter end.” And so he did...but far from dazzling the audience with his dulcet tones, Steve clearly had something else on his mind...

As he comes on stage, the audience erupts in laughter, followed by more bawdy double-entendres than you can shake your average

Carry On

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caper at.

We won't let the cat out of the bag. Walsh's parting comment just about sums it all up: “Steve, I just don’t think you have the full package.”

As the great comic

Kenneth Williams

would say:

"Ooh, matron!"

She's out there

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Oh dear. Another day, another lost in showbiz star dragged through the tabloids and whacked with the 'crazy' stick.

Step up horror flick star

Shelley Duvall

. You'll remember her as the mousy actress who appeared alongside

Jack Nicholson

in the big screen adaptation of

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Stephen King

's

The Shining

.

Turns out Duvall, now 60, has created a bit of a stir in her neighbourhood - over claims she thinks her back yard is a portal for little green men.

Worried friends an neighbours near her Blano, Texas home reportedly believe the star “desperately needs help", after witnessing her patrolling her backyard, and flashing her car lights in a bid to communicate with aliens, says the

Globe

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tabloid.

A concerned snitch said: "Shelley is such a tragic soul. I feel terrible for her and wish someone could step in and do something. She desperately needs help."

While the broad behind the counter at her local hardware store adds: "One time she came in and asked for dirt and boards to block up a hole in her backyard because, she said, 'That's a portal into another dimension. That's where the aliens are coming in.'"

You know what, it really is a reflection of a PC society when you can't even communicate with martians in your own backyard.

And finally...

The Blind Bits

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*

"This blind item is going to be phrased as a piece of advice. If you pay your drug dealer on time he won't break into your house and take your things. Just saying."

CDaN

*

"This well respected Academy Award winner/nominee actress has had a dramatic weight loss recently thanks to her heroin use. Her habit has become so bad that people are convinced they saw her using in a popular L.A. Japanese restaurant." CDaN

*

"Which pop star joined the mile high club when she got down and dirty with a fellow muso? The shameless babe didn't even stop when the flight attendants came down the aisle..."

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Mirror UK

*

"This A list director passed out during a premiere of his latest movie. When people tried to help him out of the theatre they noticed he had wet himself and his seat. Nice."

CDaN

Blogger Bites Back

Pictured: Rihanna and, inset, Chris Brown. Photos / AP

*New(ish) - follow Blogger Bites Back on Twitter

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