Rihanna Once Ignored Advice to Seek Therapy After Her Relationship With Chris Brown
As many know, superstar Rihanna was once in a highly publicized relationship with r & b superstar Chris Brown. Their relationship would ignite considerable controversy after she was assaulted by the singer.
After the ordeal, those close to Rihanna suggested that she should see a therapist. But she refused because of the way she was raised.
Rihanna considered Chris Brown the love of her life
As expected, Brown experienced significant vitriol from many after assaulting Rihanna in 2009. But at the time, the “Diamonds” singer didn’t share the same venom some in the public had for Brown. Three years after the attack, the Grammy-winner asserted that she and Chris Brown still maintained contact with each other.
“Now we’re very, very close friends. We’ve built up a trust again… We love each other and we probably always will. And that’s not something we’re ever going to change. That’s not something you can shut off, if you’ve ever been in love,” Rihanna once said in an interview with Oprah (via USA Today).
Although the two were no longer involved with each other romantically, Rihanna shared that she still cared deeply about her former partner. She still only wished him the best despite everything that happened between them.
“I think he was the love of my life. He was the first love. And I see that he loved me the same way… it’s not even about us being together. I truly love him. So the main thing for me is that he is at peace. I’m not at peace if he’s a little unhappy, or he’s still lonely,” she added.
Rihanna refused recommendations to see a therapist
Although some artists prefer to channel trauma or heartbreak into their music, Rihanna didn’t want to get personal on her songs. Two months after her ordeal with Chris Brown, Rihanna returned to the studio to potentially record some new material. But the Ocean’s 8 actor made it clear to everyone she worked with what she didn’t want on her record.
“When I was about to start the record, that was the first thing I said: ‘I don’t want no sad songs. I don’t want no songs about love.’ I turned away eight ballads: ‘I don’t want to do that, that’s totally expected,'” she once said according to The Scotsman.
Not only did she refuse to address the topic on her songs, but she also didn’t feel the need to address it with a therapist. This was because Rihanna’s upbringing gave her a particular mindset that didn’t favor therapy.
“Everyone wanted me to see a therapist to just talk about it, and I refused,” she said. “In Barbados, we don’t do that. We keep it in our family and figure it out and move on. I just put my game face on and went on with my life. But deep down inside I had some things to get past and it came out in the music.”
Rihanna eventually decided to see a therapist
Despite Rihanna’s reluctance, the young star eventually decided to see a therapist at the urging of her friends. And it was a decision the multi-platinum artist felt benefited her in the end.
“I was able to talk about it in a comfortable way, in a very calm way, and the anxiety wasn’t there any more,” she said.
She also felt she experienced a growth after the situation with Brown.
“As traumatic and as terrifying as it was,” she continued. “And sometimes I wish it never happened, my whole life changed in the most amazing way after I went through that. If I didn’t go through that, I swear, you would’ve been interviewing a completely different person.”
