Ah, Rihanna. I have to admit, this is my style. If I looked like Rihanna, or had that kind of slim, small-busted, model-y figure, I would wear dresses like this all of the time. I love the simplicity of it. I love that it’s sexy but not in-your-face. I love that it’s also one of the classier and most elegant things Rihanna has ever worn. Allegedly, she worked with Armani to create this dress, which I find hard to believe. I mean, she’s the face of Armani, and obviously they want to please her. But I don’t believe Armani didn’t have a very similar dress in their archives, you know? I even like Rihanna’s blonde hair, but only in comparison to how bad her hair has been in the past. This is a really great look for her, and I hope it stays for a while.

As for Rihanna’s performances… I don’t even know. First she “sang” her own song, “We Found Love” – but as was made clear very quickly, she was lip-syncing. Did you notice that? She didn’t have the mic to her mouth at several points and you could still hear the vocals. After that, she changed mics I guess, and she joined Chris Martin for a simple version of “Princess of China”. You can really hear the difference between Rihanna’s voice live on that song versus her pre-recorded voice on “We Found Love”. Now, I thought Coldplay’s performance of “Paradise” was really, really good. Here’s the video of all of it:

21221225635 by YardieGoals

Right? Why go to the Grammys if you’re not going to actually SING your own song? And those booty shorts looked super-uncomfortable. Like, that cameltoe was painful.

And here are some other pics – I’m only putting up these photos of Adam Levine and his girlfriend Anne V because her dress is sort of similar to Rihanna’s Armani. I think Anne’s biscuit-grazer dress is a version of the Anthony Vaccarello one Gwyneth Paltrow wore on the cover of the March issue of Harper’s Bazaar, correct? Anne V and Adam were reportedly having problems a few weeks ago, but I guess they’re still together. Good for them, I guess.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

It’s been a while since Rihanna has been blonde, right? I can’t keep up with this stuff. I think she was last blonde when she wore an unfortunate wiglet for her Armani campaign. Well, she’s done it again, only this time she’s doing some kind of 1980s hair-band style. Rihanna began tweeting behind-the-scenes photos of her Elle Magazine shoot (she’s getting an Elle cover? Meh.) in which they bleached her hair and gave her extensions. After the Elle shoot, Rihanna went to the Roxbury – I’m including a few photos from her outing, in which she wore that fug orange sweater and thigh-high leather boots.

Rihanna claimed her new look is “stripperish” but I just think it’s flat-out ugly. I never understand why Rihanna does this to herself, or why she allows this to be done to her. I mean, I guess I understand the idea of “She’s 23, she’s experimenting with her look, she’s having fun.” But most of this stuff simply doesn’t look GOOD. I hated the pink-Kool-Aid phase, and this blonde-rocker look might be even worse. Dear Rihanna: You’re very pretty but please STOP.

Photos courtesy of Pacific Coast News & Rihanna’s Twitter.

Here’s some photos of Rihanna returning to LAX after her relaxing, blunt-filled Hawaiian vacation came to an inevitable end. She looks so happy and carefree in these pictures, right? Well, perhaps she was pleased for another, more nefarious reason. In a natural follow-up to last week’s Us Weekly story that Rihanna hasn’t merely been love tweeting but has also been secretly hooking up with for the past year, TMZ reports that the two ex-lovers were present and accounted for (at the same time) in the same night club last night. It’s hard to believe that Rihanna would truly go back to Chris after he beat the living hell out of her, but the evidence is quickly mounting:

Rihanna and Chris Brown partied at the same club last night, fueling growing rumors they’re back together.

The two singers left Greystone Manor — a West Hollywood club — separately, but they were both definitely there at the same time.

Several people who were at the club last night tweeted that as far as they could see Rihanna and Chris had no contact with each other.

The protective order — requiring that they have no contact with each other after Brown beat Rihanna — was lifted a year ago.

[From TMZ]

Ugh. This story is probably true since TMZ got word from eyewitnesses on the scene, and it’s even more pathetic than Rihanna pretty much leapt off the airplace from Hawaii into such a misguided, almost certainly situation. So after these two left the club “separately,” do you think RiRi and Chris met up for a private afterparty at some undisclosed hotel? Right now, I’ve lost all hope that RiRi is smart enough not to do just that.

Beyond Rihanna’s obvious bad taste in men, one more thing about her return from Hawaii is freaking me out. Look at her hand on the escalator rail. All of those germs!

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet

Ugh, I just don’t know what to think of this story. Yesterday, Kaiser brought us the comparatively blissful news of Rihanna’s blunt-filled Hawaiin vacation, which seems so peaceful that I’m using more of those photos. However, danger may be lurking just around the corner (figuratively) in the form of Chris Brown, who does have a confirmed girlfriend who would ideally prevent his story from being true. However, Kaiser reminded me that Chris was allegedly hooking up with Kelly Rowland while on tour last year, so maybe that establishes a pattern of cheating that would mean he’d have no problems with casual hookups with someone else too . . . such as Rihanna. Of course, RiRi herself has already admitted that she still admires Chris even though he beat her senseless.

Until now, I’ve always maintained that Rihanna would never actually go back to Chris for the simple reason that her handlers won’t let them get close because of publicity reasons. A true reunion would be awful for her career, but does that leave out the possibility of occasional hookups? Us Weekly seems to believe that this has been the case for the past year:

February 8 marks the three-year anniversary of Chris Brown’s infamous assault of then-girlfriend Rihanna.

And it turns out that the exes — forcibly separated after the beating by court order — could very well be spending that “anniversary” together. As multiple sources confirm in the new Us Weekly, Rihanna, 23, and Brown, 22, have secretly been hooking up for nearly a year.

The edgy, platinum-selling “We Found Love” singer and Brown “meet up very casually,” a Brown confidante says. “She comes to see him anytime she’s in L.A.”

Explains a music industry source: “They can’t get enough of each other. I don’t see it ending well.”

“Rihanna loves to live dangerously, and talking to and hooking up with Chris is all part of that,” adds a Rihanna insider.

The clandestine relationship isn’t just complicated because of the couple’s violent past; the “Forever” crooner also has a girlfriend, aspiring model Karrueche Tran.

“He and Rihanna are just friends,” Brown’s rep tells Us. “He’s not cheating.” Rihanna’s rep had no comment.

[From Us Weekly]

At this point, I am starting to believe that Rihanna isn’t above hooking up with her abusive ex for a thrill, but I hope she truly isn’t that stupid. Maybe she really is lured by the cycle of violence and misinterprets it as “exciting.” Hopefully, this is merely baseless gossip on a slow news day though. While in Hawaii, Rihanna’s been tweeting about her hot chef. She should hook up with him instead.

Photos courtesy of Fame

I don’t really like to get into just how much pot I used to smoke back in the day because my mother occasionally reads this site. But let’s just say this – in my late teens, I had a regular dealer, and I considered him a personal friend. Let’s just say that I was working through some things for a few years. Let’s just say that gravity bongs are either incredibly awesome, of a tool of the devil.

With that in mind, here’s 23-year-old Rihanna getting high as a motherf—er in Hawaii over the past few days. She’s been photographed on two separate occasions smoking sizeable blunts. She’s been tweeting about getting high too – go here to read her Twitter, which is full of some musings that I don’t feel comfortable repeating.

On one hand, I do feel like “Leave Rihanna Alooooone!” She’s obviously on vacation, and she’s never lied about her love of getting hammered and/or high. I don’t think she parties any harder than liquor and weed, and I think many 23-year-olds have these kinds of private parties.

On the other hand… Rihanna is a role model to young girls, for better or for worse. It doesn’t matter if she puts herself out there as a role model, she influences young women regardless. What does it say to those younger people when Rihanna is smoking a blunt on a (public?) beach in Hawaii? Moms out there – does this offend you? For me – I just think it looks like a really amazing vacation. I wish I was smoking a blunt on a beautiful Hawaiian beach right now.

Photos courtesy of Fame.

Here are some new photos of a “lonely” (according to Fame Pictures) Russell Brand popping around London all by himself earlier today. Of course, I don’t necessarily buy that he’s lonesome in the conventional sense because all he’d have to do is snap his fingers, and (at least) a couple of girls would instantly flank his sides. He’s probably just enjoying (or enduring) some requisite solitude as much as possible in the wake of a major, traumatic split. Like anyone else in a divorce, Russell’s just trying to get his bearings back after filing for divorce after fourteen months of being married to Katy Perry. Yes, he’s probably a bit shell-shocked after a massive fight that ruined Christmas after things already were going terribly. No doubt, Russell will bounce back in due time after a suitable (or maybe in his case, not-so-suitable) waiting period.

Naturally, the rumors are still swirling over which party is most to blame for the split. Certainly, both bear some responsibility, but I don’t buy that Russell only filed because Katy didn’t want to offend her parents for religious reasons. C’mon, this is a girl whose parents already told her that she’s going to hell after her breakout single about kissing a girl volleyed her to stardom. If she wasn’t that worried about upsetting them then, a divorce certainly wouldn’t change matters from a logical standpoint. Not that logic has anything to do with this at all.

Russell Brand’s marriage to Katy Perry collapsed as he became exasperated over her refusal to put her career on hold to start a family, it was revealed yesterday.

Last night sources close to Brand, who has carved out a successful Hollywood career starring in films such as the 2011 remake of Arthur, blamed the marriage breakdown on the fact his 27-year-old wife was not prepared to put motherhood ahead of fame.

One said: “I don’t think Katy really understood what marriage was about. I don’t think she was prepared to give up her career. This wasn’t one of those occasions when Russell was mucking about, he wanted to settle down and have a family.

“I don’t think that’s what Katy wants. I think she’s very confused. They’ve been speaking a lot. There have been a lot of phone calls this week. Katy is 27. That’s not too young to get married. But professionally she is in a very powerful position.

She’s just done a year-long tour, she’s incredibly successful and she wasn’t ready to give up her career. I don’t think she was prepared to give that up and give time to the marriage.

“It was reported she was taking a year off, but I don’t think she’s doing that. It’s very sad. Russell is very cut up about it all. It’s not great news. It is very raw and very recent. I don’t know what will come from this.”

So far Miss Perry, who is understood to be in Hawaii, has not commented on the end of the marriage.

Yesterday, Brand was seen leaving the Savoy Hotel in Central London where he is believed to be staying.

On Friday, Katy’s father, Keith Hudson, 64, a born-again evangelical Christian who tours American churches with his wife Mary, was visibly upset as he spoke outside his home in Irvine, California.

He said: “I can’t talk, I’m sorry about that. I’ve had 1,500 people calling me today. I’m really sorry.”

[From Daily Mail]

Surely, both Katy and Russell were both at least partially to blame for their failed marriage. However, I do honestly get the picture that Russell has matured quite a bit in recent years, and he probably thought that he and Katy were on the same page for starting a family. Turns out he was wrong, and that doesn’t make him any more “correct” than she, but it does forecast serious incompatibility. Meanwhile, Hollywood Life seems to believe that Katy is absolutely torn up over Russell’s decision to file:

Katy Perry can’t believe that her marriage to Russell Brand is over! A source close to the singer tells HollywoodLife.com that Katy, 27, is “absolutely devastated” that her marriage didn’t work out and she still loves Russell.

“Katy still can’t believe that it’s over,” a source tells us. “She knew things were bad but she figured they’d work through it. Katy has been going through a bunch of emotions and she’s really leaning on her friends right now. She’s not herself. Katy never thought in a million years that she would get divorced, she really planned to spend her life with Russell,” our source continues. “She is grieving her marriage and is at a point in her life where she doesn’t know what’s next.”

[From Hollywood Life]

There are also reports that Katy is leaning on Rihanna for support and might soon jump on a plane for an impromptu girls’ vacation in Barbados. These rumors arrive after Rihanna didn’t even bother to attend her supposed BFF’s wedding, which resulted in tabloid talk that Russell and Katy were alternately fighting over the friendship and urging Rihanna to get some therapy. So who knows? I wouldn’t be surprised if Katy decided to actually catch up with her old friend by way of some beach time and a hundred bottles of beer though.

On the opposite end of the alcohol spectrum, Russell was also spotted “alone” on 12/31 as he departed an AA meeting in London. At least we know he’s very committed to his sobriety, but I find it rather bizarre that paps realize that an AA meeting is taking place. While Russell’s made no secret about attending such gatherings, it still creeps me out a bit that the press will analyze meeting times and locations in order to place a celebrity. So much for the anonymity of other members, right?

Photos courtesy of Fame

It’s amazing (that is, sickening) that Chris Brown is still in demand after all of his ongoing and unrepentant, sociopathic behavior. Yet after beating up Rihanna (and she’s still a fan), freaking out and smashing windows, making homophobic comments, and habitually parking in disable spaces, people are still willing to pay him money. Hence his New Year’s eve gig at Pure Nightclub in Las Vegas, where he sucked face with his new model girlfriend, Karrueche Tran at midnight; sang a few hip-hop songs; and acted like his generally “Breezy” self (whatever that means):

Honestly, I don’t understand the “Breezy” nickname. Is it something that he came up with himself, or does it refer to the sound his fists make when they fly through the air? No telling, really. In the meantime, a bit of a Twitter controversy has sprung up for watchers of both Chris and Rihanna’s accounts. These “love” messages were spaced just moments apart and would indicate a possible “secret” affection that is ongoing between the former couple:

It’s been a long road between these two. And we mean long. Also, bumpy.

After the highly publicized 2009 assault, which we all wish we could forget but will always remember, Rihanna and Chris Brown’s tumultuous relationship seems to have struck up again after the former couple each posted tweets about love that appeared to be directed toward the other.

The Twitter mystery (brought to our attention by Nicky Geezy from Power 106) started when Breezy posted, “Love U more than u know!”

Two minutes later, Ri-Ri responded with, “I’ll always love you #1love.”

Coincidence? Maybe, but that’s hard to believe. Rihanna has already defended why she even follows Brown on Twitter and has shared that she’s still a “fan” of his and “excited” for his comeback, which is fine. We get it.

But what’s going on here? Is the duo thinking about rekindling their romance or are these tweets totally unrelated? Was it just a little something to get off their chest or is this their way of making something public? So many questions!

That’s not all.

Earlier this month, Brown’s mother tweeted, “HELLO LADY I MISS YOU AND LOVE YOU!!!!!! YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!!!!” And Rihanna tweeted shortly after, “Miss+Love u 2″

[From E! Online]

Yeah, we already know that Chris’ mom (along with Rihanna’s cousins) is gunning for Rihanna to take Chris back, but her handlers know better than to let that happen for the sake of Rihanna’s career. And like I’ve said before, if it takes Rihanna’s management to keep her out of harm’s way, than so be it. Mostly, I think that Chris and Rihanna know that they could never be a couple again, and they’re probably just screwing with all of us by sending these well-timed love notes in a public venue. Otherwise, isn’t this exactly the sort of thing for which direct messaging was invented?

Besides, Chris is otherwise spoken for in a romantic sense. Yes, there are women who are still dumb enough to date this known abuser. Here’s a photo of Chris and Karrueche shopping in Los Angeles on 12/4. She’s a tiny little thing, ain’t she?

Here’s Rihanna (nowhere near Chris) on New Year’s Eve in Miami.

Photos courtesy of Cassi Thomas/RETNA, Fame, and WENN

This week’s Star has printed a story about Chris Brown’s mother attempting to woo Rihanna back into dating her son again even after the horrific injuries that Rihanna sustained in 2009 at the hands of her then-boyfriend. At firat, the story seems rather unbelievable but then pales in comparison to Rihanna’s own cousins begging her to take Chris back. Exactly why do both Chris and RiRi’s relatives fail to see what the rest of the world comprehends? That is, an abusive relationship should never be rekindled no matter what. Of course, this story builds upon Star‘s prior theory that Rihanna needs therapy and won’t stop boozing, and the current story maintains that Chris’ mom only wants to help Rihanna, so the only way to do that is by getting back with Chris. Or something like that:

Ever since their tumultuous split in 2009, Rihanna and Chris Brown have had little contact. But it seems the tide is turning. Chris’ mother, Joyce Hawkins, has stepped in the help reconcile the ex-lovers. “Joyce decided to reach out to Rihnna and help her sort out her life — and her relationship with Chris,” explains a source. “Rihana is still trying to blot out the inner emotional pain and turmoil of wanting Chris back.”

The former pair “have connected via text and email,” the source tells Star. Still, “Her management won’t let her meet up with him, because they are worried that he would hurt her again or that her fans would turn on her.”

But Rihanna has been spiraling out of control for months, boozing and bar-hopping. Friends fear it’s a sign of her missing her bad-boy ex — and Chris’ mom is trying to help the 23-year-old get back on track.

“Joyce is worried about her,” says the source. “She knew Rihanna as a sweet, young girl who was more interested in her career than partying all night long. If Rihanna thinks being with Chris will help her pull out of her tailspin, Joyce will make it happen.”

[From In Touch, print edition, January 9, 2012]

You know what? If it takes public image worries to keep Rihanna away from the her abusive ex-boyfriend, then so be it. Perhaps Rihanna may legitimately feel that she’s a puppet of her record company and management, but that’s a small price to pay for not being permitted to fall back into Chris Brown’s arms and being beaten to shreds once again. Yeah, I should be a little more sensitive to the issue perhaps, and sure, I’ll buy that RiRi needs some therapy. What she doesn’t need (by any stretch) is to start dating Chris again.

Incidentally, here’s some photos of Rihanna vacationing in Barbados on 12/29. She looks fantastic.

Photos courtesy of Fame

Before we get to the main part of this story, I wanted to quickly cover Russell Brand’s appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” His spot hasn’t been televised yet (and should air at some point today, depending on your time zone), but we got a heads up on his interview. Again, the timing here is suspect because Russell doesn’t have any films coming out until next June (Rock of Ages), nor is he promoting another Booky Wook or whatever he calls his tomes. The only thing that he could possibly be pushing on “Ellen” would be his marriage, and from the excerpts that we’ve been given, that’s exactly what’s happening:

Ellen: There is a rumor that you and Katy split up.

Russell: What? She should’ve told me. Yeah, there are always rumors aren’t there. In the end you have to just not engage with Internet technology, which is difficult because a lot of the nude women websites I quite enjoy (laughing.) But they’ve had to go. I’ve treated the whole Internet now like it’s a wicked little liar. Yeah. I am really happily married.

Ellen: Did you hear that rumor?

Russell: Yeah, I heard that rumor because you know if your job is to be on Telly and show off somebody will go there’s a rumor. Like someone that works with you. It’s called publicity or PR.There is a rumor. What is it? You’ve split up. Oh, no. Am I enjoying? Yes. Where am I now? You’re here. Good, good. Well, just keep me informed. Being famous is like a little bit of you is taken away and goes off and lives on it’s own and does what it wants. I wish it would do more interesting things….

Ellen: So, it’s not true?

Russell: Well, I don’t know what he’s doing. The other me but I’m married to Katy. Perpetually, until death do us part was the pledge. I’m still alive.

[From The Ellen DeGeneres Show]

Honestly, is this talk show appearance necessary? Russell seems to think himself clever by remarking on PR when he himself (in his terms, both Russells) are a very willing part of the recent publicity blitz aimed at convincing everyone that he and Katy are so happy. Do they really need tattoos, tweets, and a People article to convince themselves that they are in love? That’s what it feels like.

Now onto a story in this week’s issue of Star, which professes that Katy Perry is very worried about her BFF, Rihanna, who has reportedly been drowning her Chris Brown-related sorrows in 100 bottles of beer. Naturally, Star uses a few photos from Rihanna’s liquor-soaked vacation to Barbados in August, during which time she starred as the drunken stripper queen for Kadooment Day:

I agree with Kaiser’s previous assessment that RiRi was probably just kicking back and enjoying herself like a typical single twentysomething on vacation, who just happened to be letting loose before an international tour. Then in October, Rihanna was hospitalized with the flu in October and forced to cancel a show, and Star makes it sound like the illness was entirely alcohol-related:

Following Rihanna’s recent hospital visit, “Katy told her she has to slow down,” a source says, adding that Katy even suggested her BFF come stay at her home.

Katy Perry’s desperate to get gal pal Rihanna into treatment following the “We Found Love” singer’s dramatic hospitalization in Malmo, Sweden on Oct. 31. “Katy begged Rihanna to take some time off and get therapy,” a source says. “Rihanna’s been running on empty. And rather than resting, she’s drinking and clubbing until the early hours of the morning.”

While the Bajan-born pop star may seem like she’s flying high, Katy knows all too well how down her BFF really is — and worries that Rihanna’s still struggling with her failed raltionship with Chris Brown.

“Rihanna’s been self-medicating with booze ever since their split, and it’s not getting better,” the source says. “She calls Katy in tears, saying how down she is and that her life’s controlled by her label. She just wants a loving boyfriend. ”

Katy, 27, can certainly understand the pressure RiRi is under — constant jet-lag, strenuous shows and nonstop photo ops. But Rihanna seems to be sinking under the stress, and even Katy’s husband Russell Brand, a recovering addict himself, has expressed concern. “He told Katy that she had to step in because Rihanna is on a very slippery slope,” continues the source. So far, Rihann, 23, seems receptive to her friends’ intervention. “She’s touched that they want to help, and she agrees that she must stop,” says the source. “She doesn’t want to be the next Amy Winehouse.”

[From Star, print edition, December 12, 2011]

This story seems like a real stretch based upon the cancellation of one concert. I am inclined to believe that, at times, Rihanna might feel too controlled by her label and feel the pressures therein, but the Esquire journalist who attended backstage at several of RiRi’s shows stated that Rihanna was very well adjusted and entirely gung-ho about her tour. And by her own admission, Rihanna gets off on playing her role as a sexed-up tart who angers Northern Irish farmers while stripping in their fields. However, the part about Katy (who loves her own liquor) fretting over Rihanna’s boozing sounds ridiculous, and I certainly don’t understand why Russell (who reportedly doesn’t like RiRi hanging with his wife) has suddenly become involved as a concerned party too. Unless this is just more PR (a.k.a., “a united front”) for the happy marriage blitz.

As for Rihanna, she’s still on tour as scheduled and showed off a new hairdo/wig in London last night. I’m calling this photo “RiRi does Anna Wintour with a robot gimp”:

Photos courtesy of Fame and Ellen

You know how in Gwyneth Paltrow’s mind, she and Beyonce are super-tight and total BFFs? And in reality, Beyonce is like, “She’s okay, but she’s a little clingy”? Well, it seems like Gwyneth’s husband Chris Martin thought he could casually exploit (not really) his wife’s relationship with Beyonce – Chris wrote a song for Beyonce, and asked her to record it with Coldplay for their latest album, Mylo Xyloto. Beyonce (through her people!) refused. So Chris wrote another song, this time for Rihanna, and Rihanna sang it and now Chris thinks that Rihanna is his favorite. And everything Chris learned about being a bitchy high school girl, he learned from Gwyneth.

Maxim: So how did the Rihanna collaboration on Mylo Xyloto, “Princess of China,” come about? Because you’ve name-checked Beyoncé so many times in the past, we would have expected her to turn up on the album.

Chris Martin: Well, I did write a song for Beyoncé, but it got rejected by her A&R people. And the one I wrote for Rihanna didn’t get rejected. It was when she was doing Rated R, but it took so long—there’s still this tribalism in music where we’re rock and you’re pop and you’re hip-hop, and it sometimes takes a while to get across those barriers. Whereas a 14-year-old doesn’t even see those barriers. So once we started thinking like that, it was, “Who cares if we used to be shelved in different places in Tower Records?” She’s f–king rad, and I love listening to her. It’s my favorite real singing on the album, ’cause it isn’t me.”

[Via Maxim]

So why didn’t Gwyneth intercede on behalf of her husband to get her super-duper BFF 4 EVA Beyonce to sing on his album? Is it because Goop and Bey aren’t really that super-duper close? Is it because Beyonce thinks she’s too good to appear on a Coldplay album? Is it because Bey is surrounded by sycophantic yes men? Who knows? But I like the idea that Chris is Pro-RiRi and Gwyneth is Pro-Bey, and THAT is the biggest fight they’re having during this holiday season.

Photos courtesy of Fame & WENN.