POP star Rihanna has spoken of her shame at returning to then-boyfriend Chris Brown after he left her badly bruised and bleeding during an assault earlier this year.
Rihanna: embarrassed
The 21-year-old singer told ABC's Good Morning America that she felt "embarrassed" over the unconditional love she felt for a man who could use violence within a relationship.
But she found the courage to leave her boyfriend after realising that her actions could be encouraging other young victims to return to abusive partners, she added.
Early this year Brown, 20, was sentenced to five years probation and community labour after pleading guilty to attacking his girlfriend hours before they were due to perform at the Grammy Awards.
To date, Rihanna has remained largely silent about the incident and how it has affected her.
But in a series of interviews this week she has opened up about the assault in a bid that it might serve as a warning to other women at risk of domestic violence.
Speaking to ABC's Diane Sawyer, the singer said she felt ashamed at initially going back to Brown after the incident.
"I fell in love with that person – that is embarrassing," she said, adding: "That's embarrassing – that that is the type of person I fell in love with, so far in love, so unconditionally."
According to police documents, Brown's attack left Rihanna with a mouthful of blood.
In an affidavit, the responding officer said Brown attempted to push his girlfriend out of the vehicle before punching her repeatedly. He also bit her ear, the detective wrote.
Brown then allegedly threatened to kill his girlfriend when she pretended to phone her assistant to get police help.
But within months of the incident, the pair were seen together again.
Rihanna said she decided to get out of the relationship when she realised what impact her decision to go back to him may have on other women.
She told Good Morning America: "When I realised that my selfish decision for love could result in some young girl getting killed, I could not be easy with that part. I couldn't be held responsible for telling them 'go back'.
"Even if Chris never hit me again who is to say their boyfriends won't. Who is to say that they won't kill these girls.
