Rihanna to serenade Sheryl Crow at Unforgettable Evening 2012

Rihanna is steering her battleship back to Los Angeles, where this month she'll serenade cancer survivor Sheryl Crow at the annual Unforgettable Evening gala, benefiting the Entertainment Industry Foundation's Women’s Cancer Research Fund.

The singer and actress will light up the April 18 event after a cancellation last year due to laryngitis over Grammy weekend. Cee-Lo Green filled her spot then, but the "We Found Love" crooner plans to show this year at the Beverly Hilton as Crow receives the Courage Award.

The gala counts honorary chairs in Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks, and Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg, as well as co-founders Kelly Chapman Meyer, Anne Douglas, Quinn Ezralow, Marion Laurie and Jamie Tisch. 

Crow underwent treatment for breast cancer in February 2006, and has lived cancer-free since. Rihanna is currently promoting her summer action flick "Battleship," costarring Brooklyn Decker, Alexander Skarsgard and Liam Neeson.  

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— Matt Donnelly
twitter.com/MattDonnelly

Photos: Rihanna, left, and Sheryl Crow. Credits: Koji Sasahara / Associated Press, left; Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times, right.  

Rihanna: Chris Brown collaborations were 'innocent,' for the fans

Rihanna is explaining her recent collaborations with Chris Brown, the onetime boyfriend who was convicted of beating her up the night before the 2009 Grammy Awards.

"The hottest R&B artist out right now is Chris Brown," she said Thursday on Ryan Seacrest's morning radio show, referring to her tune "Birthday Cake." "So I wanted him on the track."

Then they cut a deal for the benefit of their fans, she said.

Fans of each of the artists have often been at odds since the assault, which resulted in Brown pleading guilty to a felony charge and being sentenced to many hours of community service, anger management and domestic violence courses and five years' probation. 

Breezy and Rihanna, however, mixed things up around the beginning of the year with a Twitter flirtation that got a bit weird. Months later, they were collaborating.

"He was like, ‘Why don’t you do the remix to my track?’ and it was a trade-off," Rihanna said. "We did two records. One for my fans. One for his fans, and that way our fans can come together.

"There shouldn't be a divide. You know? It's music, and it's innocent."

Do you agree?

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Photo: Rihanna at the Brit Awards in London on Feb. 21. Credit: Jonathan Short / Associated Press

 

Chris Brown tweets happy birthday to Rihanna — who accepts

A birthday wish in 140 characters or less would seem harmless enough, but not in the case of Chris Brown and Rihanna.

The former couple made some waves this weekend with an exchange on the social media service that's simple in sentiment but complicated given their back story.

"Happy Birthday Robyn!" Brown tweeted (warning: responses may contain profanity) on Sunday to the "We Found Love" singer, full name Robyn Rihanna Fenton. Rihanna responded with a "Thanks!" — but the fan reaction that prompted seconds after was a lot more, uh, animated.

From profane cries of disgust to emoticon-laden messages of hope, the mixed reactions are understandable. In 2009, Brown pleaded guilty to assaulting Rihanna in a now-famous Grammys eve altercation in Hancock Park — one that left the singer badly beaten, especially on her highly visible face.

The tweets, which marked Rihanna's 24th b-day, come on the heels of speculation that Brown will appear on an upcoming remix track from Ri's latest album, "Talk That Talk."

Is it appropriate for the former duo to tweet at each other? Or collaborate musically, for that matter? Tell us in comments.

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Left photo: Chris Brown on "Good Morning America." Credit: ABC

Right photo: Rihanna performs in London. Credit: Associated Press

Chris Brown's supervised probation will continue

If it's Grammys weekend, it must be time to check in on Chris Brown and his probation progress in the infamous Rihanna-assault case.

Brown beat then-girlfriend Rihanna just about three years ago, after a party the night before the Grammy Awards, where she was to perform. She was unable to perform, and he wound up pleading guilty to assault, for which he's serving five years' probation.

And that probation will continue, supervised, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge decided Thursday. Brown's attorney, Mark Geragos, had argued that his client should be allowed to finish supervised probation early, on account of good behavior.

However, Judge George Lomeli sided with prosecutors, and Brown will continue to report to a probation officer in his home state in Virginia.

The R&B singer has already completed a yearlong domestic violence program, anger-management classes and about half of the community service he owes the court. Nominated this year for three Grammys, he's slated to perform at the ceremony Sunday night in Los Angeles.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photo: Chris Brown on the "Today" show last July. Credit: Charles Sykes / Associated Press

 

Rihanna, Chris Brown: Is the alleged Twitter affair getting ugly?

Rihanna and Chris Brown's possible Twitter love affair took a new turn over the New Year's weekend -- now what was all sweetness and light looks to be turning into a digital simulation of the neighbors having a loud fight with the windows open.

After Brown rang in the new year in Las Vegas with girlfriend Karrueche Tran, pics of the couple together reportedly didn't sit right with Rihanna, who tweeted Monday, "How can you lie to her, while u lay with me???.....If you don't have an answer, you don't have to answer."

Of course, Rihanna could be tweeting about her dog for all we know, but she does have a recent history of sending out suspiciously timed love tweets that are just minutes behind Brown's similarly vague love tweets.

There's been no responding tweet from Chris Brown, so maybe he doesn't have an answer. Or maybe he's expanded on his resolution to stay away from the media in 2012?

Also no word on Twitter from Brown's girlfriend, Tran. But that may be because she's too distracted by all that food on her plate. If there's any love triangle going on here, it may be between Brown, Tran and McDonald's.

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Photos, from left: Chris Brown in concert at KIIS-FM's Jingle Ball; Rihanna in concert in June. Credits: Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times; Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times

Chris Brown and Rihanna sending each other love tweets?

Chris Brown and Rihanna, whose romance had a spectacularly violent and public flame-out in 2009, appear to be hooking up again -- at least on Twitter.

The singers sent a few public tweets Thursday that seemed to have very specific audiences.

At 4:06 p.m., Brown, who follows Rihanna on Twitter and vice-versa, tweeted, "Love U more than u know!" A minute later, Rihanna tweeted, "I'll always love u #1LOVE."

This isn't the first time the two parties, who have been separated by a court-mandated restraining order that requires Brown stay 50 yards away from Rihanna at all times, have shown signs of looking for a reunion.

On Dec. 15, Chris Brown's mother, Joyce Hawkins, tweeted, "HELLO LADY I MISS YOU AND LOVE YOU!!!!! YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!!!"

While that in itself isn't unusual (90% of "Mombreezy's" tweets involve love in some capacity) this one was matched a short time later by Rihanna, who tweeted, "Miss+Love u 2."

Brown and Rihanna's relationship came to a very public end when Brown was arrested on domestic assault charges after an incident with Rihanna, which left her with visible injuries on her face and body. Brown later pleaded guilty to a felony and accepted a plea deal of community service and five years' formal probation. Rihanna has since said she's still a Chris Brown fan.

Will the couple reunite? Not without a return visit to court. The judge's restraining order is in place until 2014.

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Left photo: Chris Brown on "Good Morning America." Credit: ABC

Right photo: Rihanna performs in London. Credit: Associated Press

Rihanna named sexiest woman alive; still a Chris Brown fan

Rihanna, the 23-year-old Barbadian singer discovered by Jay-Z, has been named this year's sexiest woman alive by Esquire magazine.

Celebrating her glistening bod, fearless sense of style (which often consists of very little clothing) and boss-like attitude, the mag says she's transcended even Madonna in her pursuit of "carnal pop."

"At the end of a concert, I don't feel like I've been this sexy thing. Really, I don't even think about it," she says.

Clearly, someone does. In the nearly three years since her Grammys weekend assault by then-boyfriend Chris Brown, Rihanna has rewritten her narrative: from a victim out of an R&B standard to a multi-genre sexpot who (speaking of Madonna) has made unpredictability her one constant.

And nothing is more unpredictable then coming out in at least pseudo-support of Brown -- she says she's let go of past resentment.

"It's incredible to see how he pulled out of it the way he did. Even when the world seemed like it was against him, you know?" she told the mag.

Yeah, we know. 

"I really like the music he's putting out. I'm a fan of his stuff. I've always been a fan. Obviously, I had some resentment toward him for a while, for obvious reasons. But I've put that behind me," she said.

Check out a video of Rihanna's Esquire cover shoot below, and give us your thoughts on her sexy, resentment-free self in comments. 

 

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Photos, from top: Rihanna dips and dives in a jeweled bikini for the London stop of her "Loud" tour on Oct. 5 (Credit: Joel Ryan / Associated Press); Rihanna is soaked and sticky as cover girl and sexiest woman alive (Esquire).

Dodgers' Matt Kemp revisits Rihanna, gets soaked in new spread

Baseball's Matt Kemp may be known in the real world as a legitimate MVP candidate and one of the best things happening for the Dodgers this year. But here at the Ministry, we fancy Matt Kemp as the hazel-eyed outfielder who captured our attention -- and pop diva Rihanna's -- with a blitz of promise and press last year.

Thank heavens, professional success aside, he's still around, still sexy and still has things to say about RiRi.

In a new spread for Flaunt magazine, Kemp touches on what could be "his year," as well as the quest for love and the oft-ugly politics of Major League Baseball.

"I’ve been in love twice," he tells the mag. "Only twice. That’s enough at 26."

Kemp's courting of the "S&M" singer, which was the first public outing she made with another man after being assaulted by singer Chris Brown, sparked in December 2009. The pair heated up after New Year's 2010 with a trip to Cabo San Lucas, followed by a surprise birthday party Kemp threw for Rihanna that February.

"We hang out and have fun," he said that April. The couple broke up in December.

Fast forward to present day, and Kemp seems satisfied to be single. He's developed a palate for sushi (thanks, Hollywood) and has learned how to spend his $7-million salary sensibly.

"You’ve got to set a little budget for every month or two for yourself. If you go over that budget, it means that you have do less next month," he said of splurging on fashion favorites such as Lanvin gear and shoes. "It's all about saving money. But looking good at the same time."

We can also file his diplomacy as a good look. When the subjects of his team's ownership mess and the trainwreck divorce of Dodgers duo Frank and Jamie McCourt was broached, he benched any comments.

"I don't really know the whole situation or who is to blame or whatever," he said. He's not alone.

"One thing I've learned: I can't worry about things I can't control, and in the front office -- that's one thing you can't control ... I just try to play my game and try to make everyone forget about the unfortunate situation that happened off the field."

A sound policy for baseball and love, Matt.

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Photos: Matt Kemp flashes his tattoo and killer eyes, left, and gets hosed off, right, in a detail of a photo for Flaunt magazine. Credits: Tony Duran

Rihanna defends 'Man Down' video from parents council, critics

Rihanna is standing by her "Man Down," more specifically the new music video accompanying the single that has the Parents Television Council and other groups in a tizzy.

The video, which premiered on Tuesday on BET's "106 & Park," depicts the pop star shooting her lover at a train station after he sexually assaults her. 

"I didn't mean to lay him down / but it's too late to turn back now," she sings in the reggae-inspired track. The PTC is calling for a total ban of the clip.

"Instead of telling victims they should seek help, Rihanna released a music video that gives retaliation in the form of premeditated murder the imprimatur of acceptability. The message of the disturbing video could not be more off base," the council said in a statement.

Rihanna is no stranger to domestic violence issues, having survived a violent attack by former boyfriend Chris Brown in 2009.

Industry Ears, another watchdog group, is accusing the Barbados native of courting shock.

" 'Man Down' is an inexcusable, shock-only, shoot-and-kill theme song," Industry Ears head Paul Porter said in a release. "In my 30 years of viewing BET, I have never witnessed such a cold, calculated execution of murder in primetime."

Rihanna has taken to Twitter to defend herself and the music video.

"The music industry isn't exactly Parents R Us! We have the freedom to make art, LET US! Its your job to make sure they dont turn out like US," she wrote.

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Photo: Rihanna performs on NBC's "Today" on May 27. Credit: Mike Coppola / Getty Images

Britney Spears performs with Rihanna, Nicki Minaj at Billboard Music Awards [Video]

 
Britney Spears made quite the splash at Sunday's Billboard Music Awards, popping up twice for sexy performances with fellow artists Rihanna and Nicki Minaj.

For the remix of Rihanna's bondage hit "S&M," Spears emerged in a Bettie Page-esque bunny mask and enjoyed a dual pole-dancing routine with her redheaded counterpart (above).

Later on in the telecast, which counted many a trophy for RiRi, Justin Bieber, Beyonce and Taylor Swift, Spears gave fans a taste of her upcoming national tour by joining her opening act, Nicki Minaj.

Minaj performed her single "Superbass," transitioning into a rousing, wig-heavy rendition of Spears' second single "Till The World Ends" from her new record "Femme Fatale."

What did you think of Britney's Billboard cameos? Tell us in comments. 

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Photo: Britney Spears and Rihanna may be bad, but were perfectly good at it at Sunday's Billboard Music Awards. Credit: Ethan Miller / Getty Images