R&B singer Chris Brown will be formally sentenced tomorrow for his attack of former girlfriend Rihanna Fenty. I wrote a post a few weeks ago about the plea deal he was granted - 5 years probation, 6 months community service, and a course on intimate partner violence - and tomorrow, that penalty will be officially doled out.After the sentencing, Brown is scheduled to interview with Larry King. According to a post on radaronline.com, Brown's representatives hope that in the interview, "the singer will be able to get his apology across without facing brutal questioning." Brutal questioning, I can only assume, would mean asking him why he physically assaulted Rihanna to the point of hospitalization. But of course, after Brown's video apology, we know that he is remorseful and wants to take responsibility for his actions.
Brown's quest for good publicity, though, hasn't been accepted by everyone. Apparently, Oprah was approached to interview Brown, and she turned him down. Oprah has been a strong advocate for victims of intimate partner violence, recently devoting an entire episode to the issue. She had Rihanna on her program less than a week after the assault and warned her that it is extremely rare for an abusive partner to get physically violent only once.
I personally think it is terrific that Oprah has refused to grant Brown what will be his first interview since assaulting Rihanna in February. It is admirable that she does not want to give Brown any more publicity than is absolutely necessary. At the same time, Brown's "interview" by Larry King is looking like it will be just another public apology, and not a chance for a public figure to ask Brown some tough questions. Oprah had a chance to have the singer on her program, and could theoretically (with some negotation from Brown's representatives) have asked him those "brutal questions" about his crime and why he did it.
I respect Oprah's decision in this case, but part of me wants to see Chris Brown deal with some tough questions, and she would have been the ideal candidate for that. What do you think?
Photo courtesy soccerluver at flickr
2 comments:
I think I'm glad Oprah said no. There is more for him to lose by her refusing than for us to gain to see him getting grilled by Oprah on TV. It's clear he's taken the easy way out and doesn't want to asked hard question. Luckily the public is smart enough to see right through his feeble attempts to repair his public image.
I agree. Oprah's making a powerful statement by refusing Brown's request.
Plus, if you think about it, Larry King's audience is not exactly Chris Brown's... Hopefully he won't get much sympathy from anyone AND be held accountable for his horrible actions.
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