Chris Brown was—and still is—in love with Rihanna, he says. But though they had “a pretty sturdy and great relationship,” he apparently wasn’t emotionally equipped to deal with the rough patches.

“I’m not saying domestic violence is a part of relationships,” he said when asked by Larry King last week why he thinks he got violent with his then-girlfriend back in February.

“We’re both young, nobody taught us how to love one another. No one taught us a book on how to control our emotions, our anger.”

“I’m not trying to fall on the fact that I’m young,” the 20-year-old singer added, his soft tone and blue bowtie only serving to emphasize his boyishness. “There’s a lot of stuff I wish I could have changed that night.”

But seeing as how that’s impossible, all he can do is hope for a bunch of better tomorrows.

While Chris Brown has reportedly been making plans to appear on Larry King Live this week to talk about the Rihanna incident, the “Disturbia” songstress is keeping busy with some late-night flirting on the East Coast.

Ri-Ri hit Fabulous‘ Friday night performance at the AXE Lounge in the Hamptons with three girlfriends.

By the end of the evening, I’m told, Rihanna was smitten with the celebrity hot spot’s doorman!

But he wasn’t just any doorman. The dude is also a model.

“He’s really hot,” said one of the sources.

Rihanna, sources report, asked for his number on the way out.

Her rep declined to comment.

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…

Here’s what we know as fact.

Brown has pleaded guilty to assault in connection to a face-smashing Rihanna took in a rented Lamborghini back in February. As part of the deal, the judge issued a stay-away order against Brown; he cannot approach Rihanna within 50 yards, unless they both appear at an industry event, in which case the distance shrinks to air-kissing distance.

After Brown left the courtroom on the day of his plea deal, Rihanna entered said courtroom and was told by the judge that the restraining order is “really two ways,” which has led to all kinds of speculation in the press.

But according to attorneys I’ve interviewed, judges rarely issue legally binding two-way restraining orders—and then, usually only in family law cases, not criminal ones. So the statement to Rihanna was likely more advice than command. (In fact, legal blogger and law professor Colin Miller says Rihanna’s attorney, Donald Etra, confirmed to him that the court has no jurisdiction over Rihanna and that she is taking the judge’s statement as a guideline only.)

So where does that leave each of them? Well, if Rihanna did decide to complain, Brown could get arrested, dragged to contempt court, and then jailed or fined, attorney Dan Clifford of the law firm Weber Gallagher tells me.

But only if—and let me repeat, if—Rihanna calls the cops and makes a case that she felt threatened. That’s what restraining orders are all about: making a victim feel safe.

“Someone would need to file a complaint that the restraining order was broken,” former prosecutor and current Air America radio host Michael “Lionel” Lebron says. “Someone needs to call the police, and who’s going to call the police if the meeting was mutual?”

In fact, the meeting may not have happened at all. E! News has learned that, yes, the two stayed at the same hotel but never crossed paths.

“This was a coincidence,” Rihanna’s rep told us. Echoing that statement, Brown’s rep said, “It was “purely a coincidence…they were not together.”

In other words, Brown dodges jail. Again.

It’s summer, a perfect time to toss on a shirt over the swimsuit and go to lunch. Everybody does it, but somehow Rihanna pulls that look off so much better than the rest of us.

The simple, sheer top, her imperial air and that supershort, near-Mohawk (check out how close her sides are trimmed) are all part of why she’s always someone to watch.

Plus, she’s ready to jump back into the pool at a moment’s notice. (But please, wait 30 minutes so you don’t get a cramp.)

Legal documents have been filed asking a judge to hold a reporter in the Chris Brown case in contempt of court.

According to docs filed with the court, Russell Alan Wetanson runs a website that posted video of interviews in the hallway outside the courtroom where Chris Brown pled guilty to felony assault — court rules prohibit such taping.Wetanson, who is a lawyer, was notified by the public information officer of the court of the violation and the videos were removed from his website.

But now a contempt hearing could be set, which raises the possibility that Wetanson could be sent to the pokey.

Everyone knows that Rihanna is a tattoo trendsetter.

Just ask Lindsay Lohan and Lily Allen. (Or on second thought, don’t.)

But last night three lucky people at New York City’s East Side Ink got brand-new tattoos inked by the “Umbrella” singer herself.

“She came by to hang out with us and her regular tattoo artist Bang Bang,” says East Side Ink owner Yadira. “He decided he wanted to get a tattoo from her and then two of the other artists decided they wanted to get one as well.”

Riri gave her buddy and the other artists one of her signature signs.

“She tattooed us for a change,” says Yadira. “It’s a little umbrella with a capital “R” underneath it. The second and third had a number two and a number three next to it.”

But according to the NYC Health Department, tattooing without a license is illegal.

“Only licensed tattoo artists can administer tattoos in the city according to the City’s Health Code,” says spokesperson Erin Brady.

Still, Yadria says what it’s only illegal if she is making a profit. And as for Rihanna facing any legal drama, an NYPD spokeswoman tells E! “Someone would have to make a complaint. There’s been none that we know of.”

Who would complain? Most people—and probably even Lindsay—would love such a unique souvenir.

Check out the other inked-up stars in our Celebrity Tattoos gallery.

Rihanna has a big date with Chris Brown today … along with a judge, a few lawyers and a courtroom full of onlookers.

RiRi is set to take the stand as a witness against Chris Brown in his preliminary hearing, which begins at 1:45 PM PT.

Rihanna’s testimony is hugely important.

Will she stick to the story she told cops the night of the beating? Rihanna said Brown had beaten her before and the violence was escalating.

One big question — will Brown’s lawyer, Mark Geragos, cross-examine Rihanna? We’re told if the case goes to trial Geragos will make a big point that Rihanna was the intial agressor, repeatedly hitting him before he began pounding on her.

Also hugely important .;… the photos of Rihanna’s battered face. We’ve published one pic graphically showing the brutality of the beating. But we’re told that photo pales by comparison to photos taken the next day after the bruising and swelling settled. Those photos will almost certainly be introduced into evidence during the prelim.

The judge has rejected TV or livestream coverage. We’ll have constant updates.

Rihanna’s courtroom showdown with ex Chris Brown is Monday, but is the R&B star nervous?

Not one bit, according to her lawyer.

“She’s fine,” attorney Donald Etra tells E! News. “She’s fully expecting she’ll be required to testify. She will answer all questions asked of her truthfully.”

Rihanna was spotted in New York as recently as Thursday evening, but Etra says, “She will be here in time for the hearing.”

Monday’s preliminary hearing will feature prosecutors outlining their evidence against Brown, who has pleaded not guilty to assaulting and threatening Rihanna. She was subpoenaed back in May to testify. At the end of the hearing, Los Angeles Superior Judge Patricia Schnegg will determine if the case is solid enough to proceed to trial.

While it promises to be dramatic, the Brown-Rihanna face-off will not be televised. On Thursday, the judge announced she had banned media outlets from bringing cameras inside the courtroom.

Rihanna’s neighbor is disturbia’d by what’s going on right in his own backyard.

Christian Moeller has sued the songbird and the owner of the house she rents for invasion of privacy, nuisance, fraud and trespass, claiming Rihanna’s visitors are driving through his yard to get to her parking area or are leaving their cars on his lot.

View the lawsuit.

Stephen Yacobian recently remodeled the hoppin’ home, “effectively eliminating” its parking accommodations, states the lawsuit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court.

“Such parking area does not allow even one vehicle to be parked entirely on Defendant’s property,” Moeller charges. And yet Rihanna often has “chauffeured vehicles that park or idle on Plaintiff’s property for hours at a time,” use his driveway to turn around and drive through his yard en route to what is now Rihanna’s too-small parking lot.

Moeller is also bugged by the cameras on Rihanna’s property, a newly constructed privacy wall and some tall bamboo plants that he says block his city views, according to the complaint.

The plaintiff is seeking unspecified damages, legal expenses and the revocation of a former agreement he had with Yacobian to let cars pass through his yard—a deal he made back when such things were a rarer occurrence.

Yacobian has said that the lawsuit is “without merit.”

Forget about the match-up on the floor.

Rihanna and Chris Brown were both in the stands to watch the nail-biting fourth game of the NBA Finals in Orlando. A source told People that the two had asked to sit together, but that did not appear to be the case.

When ABC showed the celebrities in attendance, she was shown on camera, Brown was not. Both attended earlier games in the series separately.

If the two had indeed attended the game together, the timing would have been strange, considering Rihanna has been subpoenaed to testify against Brown at a preliminary hearing on June 22 and her attorney has said she will appear.

Rihanna’s representative declined to comment.

Rihanna first wore this Alexander Wang strapless corset dress while visiting Kanye West in NYC. Then Paris Hilton took it for a test-drive last night to tape an appearance on David Letterman’s show.

Both girls showed off their gams with nearly identical black platform pumps, but Rihanna accessorized the sexy frock with some sky-high hair and a sparkly silver purse.

Paris kept her blond tresses simple and opted for a chunky black necklace to complete her look…but what’s up with her “I gotta pee” pose?

Rihanna was all smiles last night at the Island Def Jam party in NYC where she was being honored for selling 12 million records.

She posed with Pete and happily chatted with other guests who were also thrilled to check out the debut of “Paranoid”, the new Kanye West video, which stars a scantily clad and angry Rihanna — watch it after the jump.Another thing keeping Rih smiling these days is a new man in her life.

What happens when you combine “Disturbia,” “Poker Face” and a whole lotta sass?

Try “Silly Boy,” a collaborative effort between Rihanna and Lady Gaga, brought to us courtesy of Kanye West’s blog.

Needless to say, with that title and lyrics like ”You had a good girl, good girl / But didn’t know how to treat her,” one can’t help but wonder if the track refers to a certain former boyfriend.

Rihanna’s camp is firing off the first response to nude pictures, allegedly of Rihanna, that hit the internet today.

A site has learned the legal department at Island Def Jam Music Group, RiRi’s label, sent a letter to at least one website that published the photos. The letter refers to “unauthorized photos purported to be…Rihanna,” demands that the photos be removed from the site, and calls the photos a violation of “the Artist’s rights.”

It’s not clear whether Rihanna really is the woman in the buff because you can’t see her face in the nude shots. She is clearly pictured in two fully clothed pics.

Interestingly, the letter from Island Def Jam does not deny (or confirm) if it’s really Rihanna.

You’ve all heard by now that Rihanna returned to the red carpet last night at the Costume Institute Gala in New York City.

Once inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art, she sat at  Marc Jacobs‘ table with Madonna, Victoria Beckham and Stella McCartney.

The 21-year-old Barbadian beauty was also the suprise performer of two songs with the night’s entertainment headliner, Kanye West…

“Kanye asked her to do it,” a source tells me. “It was his idea, but [Vogue editor-in-chief] Anna Wintour obviously had to approve it. Anna was at the run-through during the day and was so into it.”

After things wrapped up at the museum, Rihanna was spotted at Jacobs’ fete at the Monkey Bar, chatting with Gossip Girl star Blake Lively.

She also hit Bungalow 8, where Harvey Weinstein cohosted a party with the legendary hot spot’s owner Amy Sacco. “I saw Rihanna with a couple of girlfriends,” a fellow clubgoer reports. “She danced and was having fun.”

Don’t call it a comeback…’cause it isn’t one just yet.

Just a month after Rihanna was booked for her first public performance since her alleged assault by Chris Brown, the show has been abruptly scrapped.

The 21-year-old R&B star had been scheduled to perform later this month in the United Arab Emirates. But Yassin Matbouly, of would-have-been concert organizer Vibe Entertainment Management Agency, said in a statement that she’s not yet ready to return to the stage.

“We want to share with you that Rihanna and her management will not be accepting to hold a public concert at this time as it is not appropriate timing for her,” he said.

There was no immediate comment from Rihanna, who is expected to be among the glitterati in attendance at tonight’s Costume Institue Gala in New York.

Coincidentally, the next court hearing for Brown’s double felony case is May 28, the same day the concert was scheduled to take place.

Looking smokin’ hot in a bikini, Rihanna cooled off by sucking down a beer while soaking her bones in the warm waters off Barbados on Monday.

She’s got a lot of buzz.

Perhaps planning a duet together, pop divas Rihanna and Katy Perry hung out on a boat in Barbados yesterday.

No umbrellas or sapphic displays of affection were spotted.

Rihanna is looking to put the sparkle back in her life.

The 21-year-old singer filed a motion Tuesday requesting that Los Angeles authorities return the jewelry she wore to Clive Davis‘ Pre-Grammy Gala Feb. 7—and was still wearing when she fought with Chris Brown after the event.The baubles—a loaner pair of earrings and three rings said to be worth $1.4 million—were taken into evidence, along with the bloodstained Gucci gown Rihanna partied in that night, after Brown was arrested for allegedly hitting, biting and choking her.

Four different companies loaned Rihanna the jewels and now want the goods back, according to the motion.

The singer – whose smash hits include “Umbrella,” “Take a Bow” and “Rehab” – has been writing songs about “different situations in her life, just things that inspire her,” according to one of her producers.

“She’s ready, ready to make hits,” producer Brian Kennedy Seals told PEOPLE Wednesday at the ASCAP Pop Awards in Hollywood, adding that they’ve already worked on three songs, including an up-tempo number and a ballad.As for the lyrics, “We’re not there yet,” says One Republic’s Ryan Tedder, who is also working with Rihanna, 21, as a writer and producer. “She’s someone … who has something to say, so I will let her lead whatever she wants to say.”

As for how Rihanna is doing these days, Tedder says, “She’s phenomenal. She’s confident and strong and doing what she does.”

Rihanna’s new tattoo of a handgun is a symbol of ”power.”

The “Umbrella” singer had the firearm inked under her right armpit last Thursday (March 19, 2009) to signify “protection,” according to the artist who etched the design.

Tattooist BangBang, said: “I’m a big advocate of guns. So I said, ‘How about a gun?’”

“I printed out a picture of a gun that I thought would look good, and she loved it. It’s powerful. It’s protection. At least that’s my interpretation of it.”

The Barbados-born singer – whose boyfriend Chris Brown has been charged with felony assault and making criminal threats after allegedly attacking her – initially wanted the gun design on both her shoulders, but decided against it as it may have interfered with her modeling contract with make-up company Cover Girl.

BangBang continued: “We were thinking of putting it on her finger next to her wrist, or on her shoulders.”

“She loved that, but it took away from her face, and you know, Cover Girl wouldn’t have liked it much, and they pay the bills!”

“It took about 15 minutes. She didn’t complain while I did the tattoo.”

Rihanna, 21, flew BangBang to Los Angeles to tattoo her friend for her birthday, then decided to get an etching as well.

BangBang has done the majority of Rihanna’s body art, which also includes a collection of stars down her back, a music note on her ankle and a Pisces sign behind her right ear, as well as a star inside her left ear and the word “Shhh…” on her index finger.