Chris Brown to Ray Rice: ‘I’ve Been Down That Road’
The NFL took a stand earlier this week by cutting and indefinitely suspending Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice, following public uproar from a leaked video that showed the player assaulting his then-fiancée (and now wife) Janay Rice. Now R&B-pop singer Chris Brown – who received five years probation in 2009 after assaulting then-girlfriend Rihanna – has spoken out about the consequences and triggers of domestic violence in an interview with MTV News.
“I think it’s all about the choices you make,” the singer tells reporter Sway Calloway in the above video. “With me, I deal with a lot of anger issues from my past – not knowing how to express myself verbally and, at the same time, not knowing how to cope with my emotions and deal with them and understand what they are.”
Brown adds that he’s able to manage his issues through bi-weekly therapy sessions, which help him process his emotions with trained professionals. “‘This is how you should react,’ or ‘it’s good to feel this way because feelings, emotions, and energy are supposed to come and go,'” he says, channeling the advice of his therapists. “It’s not supposed to stay there; you’re not supposed to keep it inside because it’ll bottle up and you’ll become a monster.'”
Elsewhere in the interview, Brown says that dealing with his anger issues has helped him understand how to not repeat his past mistakes (or “F up”). He also offers some advice to Rice and anyone in a similar position.
“To Ray, or anybody else — because I’m not better than the next man — I can just say I’ve been down that road,” he says. “I deal with situations and I’ve made my mistakes too, but it’s all about how you push forward and how you control yourself.”
The disturbing Rice video, which was leaked by TMZ Sports earlier this week, shows the running back punching his then-fiancée in a hotel elevator at Atlantic City’s Revel Casino on February 15th. Initially, the incident only earned a two-game suspension from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, but his penalty was widely criticized – particularly given the year-long suspension given to the Cleveland Browns’ Josh Gordon, who recently failed a marijuana test. The league eventually increased Rice’s punishment and also revamped its personal conduct policies related to domestic violence.