LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – R&B singer Chris Brown apologized for throwing a tantrum over renewed questions about his assault on ex-girlfriend Rihanna, but said he felt exploited and “wanted to release the anger inside me.”
Brown, promoting his new album, smashed a window in a dressing room after an appearance on ABC television’s “Good Morning America” show on Tuesday where he was pressed about his relationship with Rihanna since the 2009 assault.
The widely-publicized outburst divided fans but may have helped boost record sales. After two years of struggle to rebuild his image and career, Brown’s well-reviewed ‘F.A.M.E’ is heading for the top spot on the Billboard 200 charts.
If sales hold up, it would give the 21 year-old singer his first No.1 album when the music magazine’s widely-followed charts are published next week, Billboard said.
Brown told BET’s popular “106 and Park” music TV show on Wednesday that he wanted to “to apologize to anybody who was startled in the (TV studio) office, anybody who was offended or really disappointed in my actions, because I was disappointed in the way I acted.”
He claimed that he and ABC had settled on “talking points” for the interview that focused exclusively on his new album.
ABC denied this, and “Good Morning America” interviewer Robin Roberts has said she told Brown ahead of time that she would ask him about his conviction.
“When the interview proceeded, I was thrown off,” Brown told “106 & Park”. “I felt like, OK, they told us this to get us on the show and exploit me. I took it very, very hard.”
“I kept my composure throughout the whole interview…And when I got back, I just let off, like, steam in the back. I didn’t physically hurt anyone. I just wanted to release the anger inside me. I felt like I worked so hard for this music.”
ABC is not expected to press charges against Brown, who underwent months of domestic violence counselling after the Rihanna assault, and is still on probation. The network has also said he is welcome to come back to “Good Morning America”.
