Essence: Chris Brown & How NOT to Break Up

So it seems Rihanna and Chris Brown are reuniting, if they haven’t already. I write “seems” because there’s no definitive word, just lots of speculation and a plethora of “coincidences” that seem to point the compass in that direction. If true, it’s no surprise. After Rihanna was interviewed by Oprah in August, I wrote: “Anyone who watched this interview should have concluded that her romantic relationship with Brown hasn’t run its course. I’m now convinced they’ll be back together any day now. (Sorry, Karrueche.) “

It took less than two months for that to come to pass.

Last Monday, the pair partied together at New York City’s Griffin nightclub, where a witness spotted them “hugging and kissing.” On Tuesday, Brown was spotted leaving the hotel where Rihanna was staying. On Wednesday, the pair showed up to enjoy Jay-Z’s concert, where a photograph showed Brown’s arm comfortably draped around the back of Rihanna’s seat. And on Thursday, Brown bafflingly released a statement, informing anyone interested that he had broken up with his girlfriend. “I love Karrueche [Tran] very much,” Brown said of his significant other of two years. “But I don't want to see her hurt over my friendship with Rihanna,"

The press release wasn’t necessary. They were dating, not divorcing, and — with no disrespect to Tran whatsoever — she isn’t a celebrity, so it wasn’t like this was a celeb breakup. Add to that, it was highly insensitive to tell the whole world they had parted ways, thus inviting commentary on his and her personal life. He might want the attention, but surely she did not.

But Brown wasn’t done yet. On Friday, he posted a link on Twitter to a carefully edited video — it has b-roll footage, which meant there was time between taping and releasing to think about how insensitive it was, but he did it anyway — where, in an inebriated post-club state, he contemplates great complexities such as, “Is there such thing as loving two people?” He added that he doesn’t want to “hurt either” and that he’s “not trying to be a player” and isn’t “a dog.”

Umm… I think canoodling with your ex while still in a relationship, then putting your breakup on blast  twice, might fulfill both of those definitions.

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