Chris Brown is not so forgetful after all, the R&B star admitted yesterday, despite telling an interviewer that he did not recall assaulting Rihanna. "Of course I remember what happened," he said, "but it was and still is a blur."
Brown blamed producers on Larry King Live for manipulating his answers in an interview to be aired tonight (Wednesday 2 September). The 20-year-old singer was repeatedly questioned on the events of 8 February, and he said they edited his comments for maximum shock value.
"That 30 seconds of the interview they used of me was taken from a one-hour interview during which that same question was asked something like four or five times," Brown said. "It is not representative of what I said ... The first four times – or how ever many times it was – I gave the same answer – which was that I didn't think it was appropriate for me to talk about what happened that night. I said it was not right for me and it really wasn't fair to Rihanna. The fifth time – or whatever it was – I just misspoke. I was asked, 'Do you remember doing it?', and I said, 'No.'"
"As I have said several times previously, I am ashamed of and sorry for what happened that night and I wish I could relive that moment and change things, but I can't. I take full responsibility for my actions."
In June, Brown pleaded guilty to assaulting Rihanna on the morning of this year's Grammy awards. He avoided a prison sentence but will serve five years of probation and six months of community labour. Brown is barred from contacting his former girlfriend.
