Rihanna raised the ire of some anti-domestic violence activists after revealing to Oprah during an interview that she feels "protective" toward Chris Brown, who was charged with assaulting her three years ago, according to the Independent [5]. She made the statement on Oprah's Next Chapter on OWN, which aired on Sunday night.

... Rihanna insisted the rapper Chris Brown "made a mistake" and "needed help" when, according to police reports, he punched her in the face, smashed her head against a car window and bit her following an argument on the eve of the Grammys in 2009.

Charities last night criticised her stance. One said she was in danger of "reducing savage attacks to the seriousness reserved for kiss-and-make-up stories in glossy magazines"; while another called for an end to "sticking-plaster policies" in pop culture's attitudes towards domestic violence.

Erin Pizzey, the campaigner who pioneered aid for abused women by setting up Britain's first refuge centre for victims, added: "This sends out a very dangerous message to teenagers that roller-coaster relationships with violence-prone personalities are edgy and exciting. They're not. The relationship is toxic and unhealthy. Both are in need of help and that is the message that young people should be receiving."

Do you think Rihanna is an apologist for domestic violence, or does she suffer from denial, as some abused women do? Let us know what you think in the comments section.

Read more at the Independent [5].

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