OPRAH WINFREY has spoken out against shamed singer CHRIS BROWN for a second time, after the star slammed the TV titan for siding with ex-girlfriend RIHANNA following their now notorious bust-up.
After Brown’s beating of Rihanna in February (09), for which he was sentenced to five years probation last month (Aug09), Winfrey dedicated an episode of her hit daytime talkshow to the topic of domestic abuse.
At the time, the Umbrella beauty was reported to be back in the arms of Brown – which Winfrey advised her against on air.
After the footage was shown on U.S. TV, Brown hit out at Winfrey for lending support to Rihanna, insisting he had helped the media mogul out in the past.
He said, “I commend Oprah on being like, ‘This (abuse) is a problem’, but it was a slap in my face. I did a lot of stuff for her, like going to Africa and performing for her school. She could have been more helpful, like, ‘OK, I’m going to help both of these people out.'”
Winfrey initially replied with a stern statement through her spokesperson, saying, “Oprah is very appreciative that Chris Brown performed at her school but she takes domestic abuse very seriously. She hopes he gets the counselling he needs.”
Now, the powerful star has backed up her decision not to defend Brown, insisting that although she was grateful for his help during the opening of her African girls school, she does not condone domestic violence in any way.
She tells Access Hollywood, “So this is what happened; Chris Brown did my show several years ago, I think it was 2007. Fun, fun time and afterward he said, ‘If there’s anything ever I can do for you then let me know.’ I almost never take anybody up on that… But my girls at the Academy in Africa love Chris Brown, love, love, love, love, love Chris Brown.
“He said he would go and I had him and his whole team come over and they performed for my girls at the Academy and it was so fantastic. Five girls fainted… needed oxygen from the nurses… The next day they taught a hip-hop dance class, it was all really great… we all hugged and thanked (him) and all that, and gave a small honorarium because that’s what the school could afford… and all was well.
“I’m still very happy that he came to the school, still very happy about that. (They are) two separate issues. So when Chris Brown issued a statement saying that he felt that I, because he had come to my school I should have, you know, been defending him… They’re two separate issues. I really am grateful that he came to the school. (But) domestic violence is something that I wouldn’t tolerate. Period.”