How Chris Brown and Rihanna's Careers Changed After His Assault

Despite a public legal process, both stars have been able to stay successful under the spotlight

By Mike Vulpo Aug 17, 2017 12:15 AMTags

When Chris Brown assaulted Rihanna back in 2009, the music community wondered if the "Run It" singer would ever shine bright like a diamond in the industry again.

In fact, others worried that Rihanna may have her own struggles under the Hollywood microscope going forward.

More than seven years after the physical altercation made front-page headlines, both artists have been able to move forward with their respective careers. In fact, the Grammy winners have branched out into much more than music superstars.

At the same time, both performers can't help but reminded of that infamous day. Such was the case this week when a never-before-seen clip surfaced of Chris discussing the assault.

"She hated me. After that, I tried everything. She didn't care, she just didn't trust me after that. From there, it just went downhill because it would be fights, it would be verbal fights, physical fights as well," he shared in his documentary Chris Brown: Welcome to My Life. "I still love Rihanna, but I'm just going to be honest—we would fight each other, she would hit me, I would hit her, but it never was OK. It was always a point to where we talk about it like, ‘What the f--k are we doing?'"

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Rihanna & Chris Brown: Relationship Rewind
Christopher Polk/Getty Images

While some have never been able to forgive Chris for his actions at the pre-Grammys Clive Davis party in 2009, his career proves that some fans are more than loyal.

In addition to winning a Grammy for Best R&B Album back in 2012 for his disc F.A.M.E., Chris has been nominated more than 10 times since the assault.

Furthermore, the artist continues to sell out concert dates during The Party Tour with Fabolous and the F.A.M.E. tour that featured Tyga, Kelly Rowland, T-Pain and others as opening acts.

When not singing, dancing and collaborating with the likes of Zendaya, Usher and DJ Khaled, Chris also made time to appear in Black-ish, Think Like a Man and Takers.

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Chris Brown's Ups & Downs
Instagram

As for Rihanna, she has easily proven to be more than just an eight-time Grammy winner (which deserves plenty of praise on its own). In addition to roles in Bates Motel, Annie and the upcoming Ocean's Eight movie, Rihanna has made a name for herself in the fashion community thanks to her makeup line and collaboration with Puma.

And when it's time for a red carpet appearance especially at the MET Gala, everything stops when RiRi shows off her look.

Through all the career milestones and accomplishments, there is no denying the fact that Chris has still experienced his fair share of drama in the spotlight. Karrueche Tran was granted a permanent restraining order against Chris after a not-so-smooth breakup. In addition, he found himself in a custody battle before winning joint custody of daughter Royalty.

As the pair continues to live their separate lives, there's no denying the fact that these two will always be connected. Just look at the last time Chris commented on Rihanna's Instagram. Spoiler alert: The Internet freaked the freak out.

But according to Rihanna, she's found peace with where things stand today.

"I don't hate him. I will care about him until the day I die," she shared with Vanity Fair. "We're not friends, but it's not like we're enemies. We don't have much of a relationship now."