ONLINE APOLOGY

Chris Brown: I'm Sorry

"What I did was inexcusable."

For the first time since assaulting singer Rihanna last year, Chris Brown apologized publicly in a video on his official Web site. "I have told Rihanna countless times, and I am telling you today, that I am truly sorry and that I wasn't able to handle the situation both differently and better," the 20-year-old Brown said. He was sentenced to five years probation after pleading guilty to assault. Brown is not allowed to be within 50 yards of Rihanna (10 at music industry events) or contact her until his sentencing in August, when the judge may lower the restrictions at Rihanna's request. "I have let a lot of people down, and I realize that," he says. "Nobody is more disappointed in me than I am." He said there are no excuses for his actions, but brought up his tumultuous childhood and asked for forgiveness. "As many of you know, I grew up in a home where there was domestic violence and I saw firsthand what uncontrolled rage can do," he said.