Chris Brown to Perform at Grammys Three Years After Rihanna Assault

By Kris Coombs, Christian Post Contributor Tuesday, February 07, 2012

Singer Chris Brown will perform at this year's Grammy Awards, the program that almost brought an end to his career three years ago, the New York Daily News reported.

A source told the paper that Brown, 22, will in fact hit the stage on Sunday night, but spoke on the condition of anonymity because Brown's performance has not yet been announced.

Brown withdrew from several public appearances, including the 2009 Grammy Awards after news broke that the singer had assaulted his then-girlfriend, pop star Rihanna, at a pre-Grammy party that year. The pair was also scheduled to perform together at the prestigious music award show.

After his attack on Rihanna, Brown faced a now infamous media backlash. Many radio stations stopped playing his music, he was denied a visa to enter the U.K. based on the grounds of "being guilty of a serious criminal offence," and the budding star was forced to withdraw from many public appearances.

Brown expressed regret for his reprehensible actions during an interview on "Larry King Live."

"I'm in shock, because, first of all, that's not who I am as a person, and that's not who I promise I want to be," Brown told Larry King in the September 2009 interview. Calling the events of the attack "a blur," Brown discussed growing up in a household plagued with domestic violence.

"I'm pretty sure we can always be friends," Brown said of his battered ex girlfriend, "and I don't know about our relationship, but I just know definitely that we ended as friends."

The R&B crooner has since made a comeback with the hit album "F.A.M.E. (Forgiving All My Enemies)," which is nominated for three Grammys.

Rihanna, who is nominated for four Grammy awards this year, will also perform during the show.

Brown and Rihanna have caused a stir among fans and parent groups recently as they have begun openly communicating with one another via their Twitter accounts, despite Brown currently serving out a five year probation sentence for the felony attack.