Rihanna Talks About Chris Brown's Assault

Nine months after her fight with Chris Brown, Rihanna breaks her silence about the incident in an interview with the December issue of Glamour magazine. To Laurie Sandell she opens up about how she coped with the assault that put her and Chris under international headlines."I went to sleep as Rihanna and woke up as Britney Spears," so she says in the revealing interview. "That was the level of media chaos that happened the next day. What, there are helicopters circling my house? There are 100 people in my cul-de-sac? What do you mean, I can't go back home?" Making the situation even worse was the leak of her photo taken by police after the fight that showed her bruised face. When asked why she kept her lips tightly sealed regarding the matter, the songstress explains, "It was humiliating; that is not a photo you would show to anybody. I felt completely taken advantage of. I felt like people were making it into a fun topic on the Internet, and it's my life. I was disappointed, especially when I found out the photo was [supposedly leaked by] two women." Rihanna, however, can draw silver lining from all the bad things that have happened to her and move on. "It has taught me so much ... The positive thing that has come out of my situation is that people can learn from that. I want to give as much insight as I can to young women, because I feel like I represent a voice that really isn't heard. Now I can help speak for those women," she tells Glamour magazine. "I'm stronger, wiser and more aware. You don't realize how much your decisions affect people you don't even know, like fans." Rihanna then goes on offering advice for young women, stating "Domestic violence is a big secret. No kid goes around and lets people know their parents fight. Teenage girls can't tell their parents that their boyfriend beat them up. You don't dare let your neighbor know that you fight. It's one of the things we [women] will hide, because it's embarrassing. My story was broadcast all over the world for people to see, and they have followed every step of my recovery." In related news, Rihanna is slated to be honored at Glamour's annual Women of the Year event Monday, November 9 at New York's Carnegie Hall.