Rihanna Speaks out; Brown Wants to Keep It Quiet

Responding to Rihanna’s candid one-on-one interview with Diane Sawyer last week, Chris Brown issued a statement to MTV saying he wished that the details of the night he abused her would remain private. "While I respect Rihanna's right to discuss the specific events of Feb. 8, I maintain my position that all of the details should remain a private matter between us," he said. "I do appreciate her support and wish her the best." During the ABC interviews, Rihanna told Sawyer that Brown bit, punched, and choked her, and that "There was no person when I looked at him. He had no soul in his eyes. Just blank." Rihanna also said that she realized her decision to stay apart from Brown and speak out about the event sent an important message to her fans as well as to other victims of abuse. Terry O'Neill, [resident of the National Organization for Women, told MTV that she admired Rihanna’s decision to speak out as a role model. "I think it's really neat that she is understanding the impact of her public persona, especially on younger girls," said O'Neill. "It's remarkable and wonderful that she gets that piece of it."