We knew Chris Brown was problematic when we first heard about his attack on his girlfriend, Rihanna, back in 2009. However, for some odd reason, we gave him a second chance. Several attacks and a child later, we finally gave up hope and stopped giving the problematic popstar any further chances.
The event that officially set me over the edge, if I wasn’t already, was his victim-blaming of Kehlani’s attempt at suicide. If this even needs explaining, victim-blaming in any situation is morally and ethically wrong. Making the assumption that a man drove her to her death is disrespectful and insensitive. Chris Brown’s postulation on Twitter made Kehlani’s struggle seem as nothing but an Instagram stunt. Kehlani’s attempt at suicide could have been made for any reason and such a topic should not be made into a circus for Chris Brown’s PR person, whom I can’t help but to feel extremely sorry for, by the way.
Chris Brown has made attacks on several individuals and marginalized groups. Those included were the LGBT+ community, women whom he has dated or had relations with, celebrities that disagree with his actions and opinions and the entire community of Chris Brown supporters. Personally, I just don’t know how they do it and as embarrassing as it seems, I, too was once a fan of this troubled man. I had posters. I had t-shirts. I had every album in his entire discography he created up until I finally came to my senses and realized that I just could not continue to support someone that represented such negativity. I’m not sure if this comes from social awareness or being tired of watching my favorite singer repeatedly vocally, mentally and physically abuse numerous people.
As much as I want to forget about what Chris Brown has done, I simply cannot. As much as I want to forgive Chris Brown for what he has done, I simply cannot. As much as I want to hate every single song this man has written or sung, I still cannot forget the memories that came along with them. Whether it be “Run It” or “Zero,” I simply cannot lie to myself and say that I don’t enjoy Chris Brown’s music. I cannot lead myself to doubt that I was one of his biggest fans at a point in time. His talent was not made invalid by his actions. However, his actions have driven me away and flawed the way in which I see him as a person, and more importantly, as a father. So, Chris Brown supporters, I’m sorry, but I can no longer relate.