Rihanna Assures Fans She 'Remains Strong'

Rihanna finally broke her silence since allegedly being assaulted by Chris Brown, issuing a statement of thanks to her fans.

"At the request of the authorities, Rihanna is not commenting about the incident involving Chris Brown," says the statement from her rep on Friday. "She wants to assure her fans that she remains strong, is doing well, and deeply appreciates the outpouring of support she has received during this difficult time."

The statement comes on her 21st birthday and a day after she was spotted in Los Angeles after spending nearly two weeks in seclusion.

The singer was photographed Thursday heading to an airport the same night a graphic photo reportedly showing her battered face surfaced on the Internet, upsetting her father, who criticized police for their "sloppy work."

Prior to the statement, neither Rihanna nor her representatives had commented since the arrest of Brown, 19, on Feb. 8

On Friday, friends in Rihanna's native Barbados marked her birthday by taking out an ad in the local paper wishing her a happy 21st "amidst all the negativity about Ri Ri. God will continue to bless her."

"I just really love that girl," Sharon Thompson, who bought the birthday greeting, told PEOPLE MAGAZINE. " Some nights I cry because of what I'm hearing. It has me deeply hurt. She's just so lovely."

UPDATE!! TMZ Rihanna photo being investigated by LAPD

The Los Angeles Police Department opened an internal investigation late Thursday into whether a picture posted on a celebrity gossip website purportedly showing the bloody and bruised face of R&B star Rihanna was part of police evidence in the case, department officials said in a statement.

The photo posted by TMZ.com at 8:39 p.m. Eastern Standard Time time under the headline "Rihanna -- The Face of a Battered Woman" showed a woman said to be Rihanna with her eyes closed, a fat lip and apparent bruising to her forehead. The site ran a short sentence above the photo stating "TMZ has obtained a photo of Rihanna taken after Chris Brown allegedly beat her."

The LAPD currently is investigating an alleged altercation between Rihanna and singer Chris Brown, who police said injured the female artist during a fight the couple had last week in a Hancock Park neighborhood the morning of the Grammy Awards.

BREAKING NEWS!!! ((WARNING PARENTAL DISCRETION ADVISED)) TMZ JUST RELEASED RIHANNA PHOTO AFTER ATTACK

Don't get mad at T4R we are just reporting from TMZ we hope all people take notice that Domestic violence is a serious matter! No Man has the right to hit a women or vice versa.



A photo of a beaten up Rihanna has surfaced -- and it's downright shocking.

The singer's face appears bruised, scratched and swollen in a picture obtained by TMZ.com that was taken after she was allegedly beaten up by boyfriend Chris Brown.

This is the first photo of Rihanna that has surfaced since the incident that took place during the early morning hours on Feb. 8 in Los Angeles.

Over the weekend, Chris issued a statement saying that he was "sorry and saddened... over what transpired." He added that he's seeking the counseling of his pastor and was hoping to emerge a "better person."

He did not mention Rihanna by name in his statement.

In the March 3 issue of Star, they reported that Rihanna has stayed in touch with her battering beau -- and her unhealthy devotion to him is making those close to the abused singer worried sick.

PAST:
Chris Brown left her bruised and battered, but, according to friends, Rihanna can't help her deep feelings for her boyfriend of more than a year.

In the March 2 issue of Star — on sale now — they reported that, to the shock of many, the singer has stayed in touch with her battering beau — and her unhealthy devotion to him is making those close to the abused singer worried sick.

"She keeps saying she wants to make sure that he's okay," a friend tells Star. "She thinks this will all just blow over and they can go back to how they were."

We have details about exactly what Rihanna said to Chris before he attacked her -- as well as an interview with an earwitness who heard Rihanna's piercing screams on the night of her shocking assault.

Plus, Chris was ready to cheat on Rihanna back in December — one day before he performed a duet with Rihanna! We have an interview with a woman who says Chris invited her back to his hotel room — and she shares text messages he sent her!









SOURCE TMZ: CLICK HERE