Ask the Answer B!tch
She's here to help
Podcast: Why Didn't Rihanna Speak Out Sooner?
INFphoto.com
Rihanna finally spoke out about domestic violence this week. What took her so long?
—via the Answer B!tch mailbox
She has broken her silence! All over the place! In Glamour! And then tomorrow and Friday on Good Morning America and 20/20! And it only took eight months.
Before we get into it, let me be clear: Nobody deserves what happened to Rihanna. Nobody. But then now, months after her boyfriend beat her to a pulp, for the first time does this very visible role model actually say anything about it.
She tells Glamour: "I want to give as much insight as I can to young women, because I feel like I represent a voice that really isn't heard. Now I can help speak for those women."
Great, but why now, you ask? Maybe because her album is coming out? Because now she wants my money?
Considering how much good can be done by Rihanna speaking up, and how much harm may have been done by her silence, that is not OK. Hear exactly why in my all-new podcast! Hit play above to listen.
________
Never miss an episode! Subscribe to my free podcast on iTunes.
What's With All These Hollywood Types Defending Roman Polanski?
ZumaPress.com; Tony Barson/Getty Images; Dominique Charriau/Getty Images
What's with the defense of Roman Polanski? Who cares how many years have passed, he's wanted for sleeping with a 13-year-old!
—Dan McDan, via Twitter
Let me try to answer your question while being as impartial and didactic as I possibly can.
The slimeball was not wanted for sleeping with a 13-year-old girl. The slimeball—who is also a sand flea and a self-entitled, overbloated, manipulating egotist—is wanted for skipping out on a hearing over his sentencing. For having unlawful sex with that 13-year-old.
As for who is defending him, after his arrest in Switzerland, and why, take a look. Your favorite celebrity might be on the list...
Can Rihanna and Chris Brown Still Legally Hang Out?
Flynetonline.com
If Rihanna and Chris Brown really spent time together at one of Donald Trump's hotels over the weekend, doesn't that violate Brown's plea deal? And since it's supposed to be a mutual restraining order, can Rihanna face jail time for this?
—AlohaB, Paia, Maui
If these two really were "Kiss Kiss"-ing, that doesn't make Rihanna a Good Girl Gone Bad. (Oh, come on. You read entertainment news. You know you love a good music pun.)
Several reports insist that both members of the former (or possibly current) couple were spotted at the Trump International Hotel over the weekend—despite a restraining order barring Chris Brown from approaching Rihanna.
But don't believe everything you've read about the Brown case. Much of the media coverage has been quite misleading, particularly when it comes to that "mutual" restraining order...
Did Chris Brown Get Off Easier 'Cause He's Famous?
Lori Shepler- Pool/Getty Images
Chris Brown is not going to jail for beating Rihanna! Do celebrities always get a better deal because they are famous?
—Paola, Brazil
According to some criminal defense attorneys, Brown's fame may have worked against him in crafting the plea deal he cut with prosecutors yesterday. Yes, that's despite the fact that he allegedly made anchovy-paste pie out of Rihanna's face and may have used a car dashboard in a serious attempt to flatten her skull.
Furthermore, there is a chance, albeit a small one, that Brown may do jail time after all...
How Can Chris Brown Gain Respect Again?
Anthony, PacificCoastNews.com
How can Chris Brown gain respect again?
—ThulaneH, via Twitter
You mean in addition to expressing his deepest regret atop a Jet Ski in Florida?
A statement about the seriousness of his alleged crimes (to which he pleaded not guilty yesterday) would be a start. "He should not cry and blame others, hardships or pressures in his life," PR pro Robert Collins posits.
Instead Brown should acknowledge that domestic violence is wrong without jeopardizing his chances in court—in other words, "acknowledge that assault and abuse are serious issues." Brown has yet to express any of the above, leaving him open to speculation that he has no problem with smacking women around.
Are they seriously going to remake Footloose? If yes, have "they" completely lost "their" minds!?!
—StantonMD, via Twitter
If Rihanna Forgives Chris, Can He Still Face Charges?
Phillip Massey/Getty Images
If Rihanna has forgiven Chris Brown, why is the media still dredging it up? She isn't pressing charges. We all need to leave them alone to work things out.
—Elli
I've seen this kind of sanctimonious crap over and over again in our comments section, and while I'd prefer to ignore it and go back to your burning questions about Twilight, I can't.
If Brown indeed beat up Rihanna, that's a crime—and not just against the woman. By law, it's considered a crime against the people. You. Me. Kristen Stewart. Everybody. That's why criminal court cases say things like People of the State of California v. Orenthal James Simpson. The O.J. case didn't read "family of Nicole Brown," it read "people."
And of course RiRi isn't pressing charges, because, unlike the crackling TV cop dramas you obviously watch way too much of...
Can California Force Octomom to Get Sterilized?
Jason Mitchell/BuzzFoto/Getty Images
Can the state demand that Octomom be sterilized?
—Danigrrrl, via Twitter
No. "Thankfully, we live in a country where we don't generally engage in forced sterilization of our citizens," criminal defense attorney Darren Kavinoky tells me. In cases of sexually violent predators, he explains, drugs can be administered "to deal with sex drive, but not the ability to procreate."
And while Nadya Suleman may be a lot of things, sexually violent predator is, apparently, not one of them.
Do stars like Chris Brown really hire image consultants for damage control?
—Drama Princess, via Twitter
Would Rihanna Lose Deals by Taking Chris Back?
Cover Girl
Will Rihanna lose any of her celebrity endorsement deals due to her getting back with Chris Brown?
—O7, via Twitter
Rihanna isn't losing her lifetime supply of CoverGirl Wetslicks Fruit Spritzers just yet.
Sure, thanks to reports of a reunion with her alleged pummeler, Rihanna definitely looks like less of a role model for young girls, marketing experts tell me. And the singer's endorsement clients may very well dump her. But not yet.
It just so happens that Rihanna's future as a shill depends on one person, and that is...
Is Chris Brown's Career Totally Doomed?
Jeffrey Mayer/Getty Images
So can Chris Brown be a famous singer after this whole alleged crime?
—Marnie, Scottsbluff, Ariz.
I reached out to dozens of crisis PR experts today—people who have handled everything from food recalls to child sex-abuse scandals. Their only point of disagreement: Whether Chris Brown's career is finished, over or merely done.
This is no small fall for a guy who, just last year, was named by Forbes magazine as a "celebrity dealmaker to watch." His biggest sin since the alleged crime? Staying silent.
Of course, what actually happened remains to be sorted out in full view of Lady Justice. But PR people universally agree that Brown should have launched his I'm-an-ass apology tour by now, or at least some sort of self-mutilating statement.
Here's the long-shot strategy he should be following...
Podcasts
Is R.Pattz Really the Next Keanu Reeves?
- Yes, but Kristen Stewart is not the next Natalie Portman. All this and more in my new weekly podcast!
For real, Taylor Lautner = Matt Damon
- Pretty much an all-Twilight/New Moon episode this week. With some strippers thrown in. All in our weekly podcast.
Why Did Rihanna Wait So Long?
- Also: How "This Is It" duped you, why celebs lie and what made tweens call Miley Cyrus a bad influence! All in our weekly podcast.
Where Did Gerard Butler Come From, Anyway?
- Also: Aniston, Selena Gomez, Gitmo! All in our weekly podcast.