Rihanna & Chris Brown: Relationship in pictures
It seemed like a match made in heaven, but the romance between pop stars Chris Brown and Rihanna ended with tragedy. First, Brown was arrested for allegedly beating Rihanna after a pre-Grammy party, then he was charged with two felonies and later sentenced to five years of probation, 180 hours of community labor, a yearlong domestic violence class and an order to stay at least 100 yards away from Rihanna for the next five years.
Here’s a quick refresher on their relationship. (Matt Sayles / Associated Press)
The Barbados-born
Brown’s big success followed on the heels of
Before the alleged incident took place, the pair attended music mogul
Although it was first reported that both singers would miss the Grammy Awards because of a car accident, word slowly leaked the night of the ceremony about the assault. Later in the week, TMZ obtained a police photo documenting the bruises and cuts allegedly given to
A month after the incident, Brown pleaded guilty to assaulting then-girlfriend Rihanna. He was sentenced to five years’ probation, enrollment in a domestic violence counseling program and 180 days of community service in his native state of Virginia. The judge also ordered Brown to stay away from Rihanna and cut off all communication with her. (Lori Shepler / Associated Press)
Six months had passed since the assault and Rihanna began dating Los Angeles Dodger Matt Kemp. In an interview with Marie Claire UK magazine, Riri suggested Kemp had shined a new light in her life. “I feel like I smile for real this time,” she told the magazine. “The smiles come from inside, and it exudes in everything I do. People feel my energy is different. When I smile they can tell that it’s pure bliss and not just a cover up.” After nearly a year of dating, long-distance woes led the pair to split. (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)
Chris Brown also moved on and started seeing model Karrueche Tran. The pair dated for two years, took a break and later rekindled their relationship. (Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images, left; Charley Gallay / Getty Images, right)
Nearly two years after Brown was charged with assaulting Rihanna, the court lifted the “stay away” order, allowing Brown to speak to Rihanna as long as he didn’t bother her. Shortly after the new rules, Brown appeared on a segment of “Good Morning America.” When asked about Rihanna, Brown lashed out, breaking a window and leaving without notice. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
Somehow the troubled couple found their way back into each other’s arms. The songsters paired up, releasing remixed versions of Rihanna’s “Birthday Cake” and Brown’s “Turn Up the Music” featuring one another. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
One night at a New York City nightclub, Brown got into a brawl with rapper Drake. Drake had previously told Ellen DeGeneres on her talk show, “[Rihanna and I] had our moment.” After the scuffle, Brown tweeted a photo of his injured chin. Drake later told GQ magazine that the entire fight was “embarrassing,” adding, “I don’t want my name to be synonymous with that guy’s name. I wish we could sit down ... and talk it out man-to-man. But that’s not going to happen.” ( Jason Merritt / Getty Images, left; Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times, right)
Rihanna and Chris Brown weren’t afraid to show the world they were an item — again — after all that had gone down between the two. Beginning in September 2012, the couple locked lips during the commercial break at the MTV Video Music Awards, appeared at a Christmas Lakers game side by side and cuddled up for the cameras at the 2013 Grammy Awards in February, as pictured above. Shutterbugs continued to snap photos of the pair whenever they hit the town or vacationed together. (Christopher Polk / Getty Images)
