Time Heals All Things!
Let me start by saying: After watching Rihanna’s candid interview with Oprah last night on the OWN network, I finally was able to separate the person from the artist [that I ONLY saw in the media realm]. I say this to say that I’ve noticed more and more how the music business/entertainment industry has a way in shaping an artist image to appeal to a larger demograhic. However, often times that spotlight, fame or celebrity that comes with that promised success also comes with a HUGE SACRIFICE and ALOT of our favorite/idol celebs are left to carry such a HEFTY burden that many of us are UNWARE of .
As we’ve all seen, Rihanna has pretty much has grown up in the public eye since she was 16 years old. From her debut hit song “Pon Di Replay” Ri-Ri career took off swiftly but the good girl gone bad singer entire persona shifted a complete one-eighty after her public domestic violence encounter she had with her then boyfriend Chris Brown in 2009. For the past three years, Ri-Ri transformed into this provocative bad ass girl, who was rebelling over all over the place and and many people assumed she was simply spiralling out of control.
In the interview, Rihanna finally answers the questions that many of us wanted to know. Rihanna talks everything? How she’s coping with the death of her grandmother?, The pedestal of fame and how she prefers to remain as “close to the ground” , her happiest moments, being revered as a sex symbol, the infamous incident with Chris Brown and and their relationship today, and what she wants people to know of her . Here’s a few excerpts that stood out for me
“No. she says. Beause of what society has made of that title. It’s become a title of Perfection and that something thats nobody can achieve. I can’t say that I’m going to get it right every time but I’mma do my best. I’m a work in progress!”
Well said Rihanna. Were all a work in progress! Oprah asks Rihanna: Who are you? Ri-Ri says:
“I love to have fun, I love to to be spontaneous, I’m intrigued by things that are a little adventurous.. I’m very black and white when it comes to business but I’m a little grey when it comes to my personal life. I can’t tell you who I am nor what you may think of me, but I can tell you some things about me. “
Rihanna also broke her silence on Chris Brown and their relationship. Ri-Ri affirms that the two are close friends and their relationship is strictly PLATONIC. She also admitted that the two have been on speaking terms and have been working on rebuilding their trust since the restraining order was lifted , and she has FORGIVEN Chris once and for all. Ri Ri says:
“I have forgiven Chris, it took a long time but I have forgiven Chris. For along time I was angry, and I was dark, It was coming out in my music, my clothes, my attitude. “
Her happiest moments:
“Barbados. Everything is back to normal, Everything is familiar, set, comfortable, I love the ocean, I have my I have my friends her, the same party we used to go to we still go. I’m home! “
Being reverred as a sex symbol:
“I don’t think I am….I had to fake it til I made it. At 24 years old I’m able to experiment a bit more but I’ll never be comfortable with that.”
Being named as one of the sexiest people by Esquire magazine:
“It was inaccurate, but flattering. I thought it was cute!”
The hardest and the loneliest part of her life.
“The hardest is being lonely. The loneliness is me as an individual.. I have a thing where I want people to think I’m weak or a victim so don’t like to tell people when I’m going through something because it’s human nature to always keep that in mind when you see the person. It could be two years from now and you’ll always remember that problem they went through and I don’t people to look at that so I don’t share that; not even with my friends sometimes.”
By the end of the interview, Rihanna gifted her mother with a brand new house where the interview had taken place.