Chris Brown's insanity: A timeline

June 15, 2012- Although Chris supposedly began dating model/designer Karrueche Tran in late 2011, 2012 was fraught with rumors of his reunion with Rihanna. These rumors culminated in a fight between Drake and Chris Brown (and/or their respective camps) that took place at W.I.P. nightclub in Manhattan early on June 15. Bottles of champagne were thrown and several people, including Chris, were injured in the brawl. It was allegedly sparked by an argument over Rihanna, whom both artists once dated, though Rihanna later told a GQ reporter that there was "no proof of it being over [her] love."March 22, 2011- Chris' reputation was unsurprisingly tarnished in the aftermath of his assault, but he seemed to be trying to make amends—until, that is, he sat down for an interview Good Morning America's Robin Roberts in March 2011 and absolutely freaked when she brought up Rihanna. When confronted with questions about the incident, Chris allegedly removed his shirt, stormed into his dressing room and tried to throw a chair through the window. Fortunately, the glass was thick enough to save the chair from injuring the crowd below, but the window—and his already-damaged reputation—still suffered.February 8, 2009- Before this fateful day, Chris Brown was a scandal-free newbie singer who was best-known for his actual music, including singles like "Kiss Kiss," "With You" and "Forever," but the night before the Grammys he became violent with then-girlfriend Rihanna and changed both of their lives forever.  The fight began in a rented Lamborghini, allegedly over "sexy text messages" Rihanna found from another woman on Chris' phone, but police eventually found Rihanna abandoned by the singer in Los Angeles' Hancock Park neighborhood. She was so badly beaten—we've all seen the picture—that she required hospitalization. Chris was booked for felony assault and making criminal threats, charged with two felonies and was sentenced to five years of probation, domestic violence counseling and more than 1400 hours of "labor-oriented community service." And then there was the restraining order that required him to steer clear of Rihanna, but she allowed that to be lifted just two years later so both singers could be present at the 2011 Grammys.View the list »
Chris Brown and Rihanna attend the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards at STAPLES Center on February 10, 2013 in Los Angeles, California.

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Whether he's wrecking his car, feuding with other celebrities or getting tattoos that suspiciously resemble his previous assault victims, Chris Brown doesn't often err on the side of sanity. He's caused so much controversy that it's hard to keep it all straight, which is why we've provided this handy timeline to help you sort out all of his drama. Will he ever learn?

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  • February 8, 2009- Before this fateful day, Chris Brown was a scandal-free newbie singer who was best-known for his actual music, including singles like "Kiss Kiss," "With You" and "Forever," but the night before the Grammys he became violent with then-girlfriend Rihanna and changed both of their lives forever.  The fight began in a rented Lamborghini, allegedly over "sexy text messages" Rihanna found from another woman on Chris' phone, but police eventually found Rihanna abandoned by the singer in Los Angeles' Hancock Park neighborhood. She was so badly beaten—we've all seen the picture—that she required hospitalization. Chris was booked for felony assault and making criminal threats, charged with two felonies and was sentenced to five years of probation, domestic violence counseling and more than 1400 hours of "labor-oriented community service." And then there was the restraining order that required him to steer clear of Rihanna, but she allowed that to be lifted just two years later so both singers could be present at the 2011 Grammys.
  • March 22, 2011- Chris' reputation was unsurprisingly tarnished in the aftermath of his assault, but he seemed to be trying to make amends—until, that is, he sat down for an interview Good Morning America's Robin Roberts in March 2011 and absolutely freaked when she brought up Rihanna. When confronted with questions about the incident, Chris allegedly removed his shirt, stormed into his dressing room and tried to throw a chair through the window. Fortunately, the glass was thick enough to save the chair from injuring the crowd below, but the window—and his already-damaged reputation—still suffered.
  • June 15, 2012- Although Chris supposedly began dating model/designer Karrueche Tran in late 2011, 2012 was fraught with rumors of his reunion with Rihanna. These rumors culminated in a fight between Drake and Chris Brown (and/or their respective camps) that took place at W.I.P. nightclub in Manhattan early on June 15. Bottles of champagne were thrown and several people, including Chris, were injured in the brawl. It was allegedly sparked by an argument over Rihanna, whom both artists once dated, though Rihanna later told a GQ reporter that there was "no proof of it being over [her] love."
  • September 2012- By mid-September, Chris began showing off a shocking tattoo on his neck of a battered woman, which many believed was an "homage" to his former girlfriend Rihanna. The tattoo is a close-up of a woman with bruises, cuts, a blackened eye and a swollen lip—injuries that bear a striking resemblance to that infamous crime scene photo of Rihanna. However, Chris' rep denied the rumors, stating, "His tattoo is a sugar skull (associated with the Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead) and a MAC cosmetics design he saw. It is not Rihanna or an abused woman as erroneously reported."
  • October 4, 2012- February 2013- An aura of confusion continued to surround Rihanna, Chris and his supposed girlfriend Karrueche throughout 2012. In February, Chris collaborated with Rihanna on an explicit remix of her song "Birthday Cake," and she lent her vocals to his track "Turn Up the Music." Meanwhile, a social media war raged on between Rihanna and Karrueche over Chris' affections, and Rihanna called Chris "the love of her life" in an August 2012 interview with Oprah. On October 4, Chris confirmed that he'd ended his relationship with Karrueche, saying, “I have decided to be single to focus on my career. I love Karrueche very much but I don’t want to see her hurt over my friendship with Rihanna. I’d rather be single allowing us to both be happy in our lives.”Then the situation only grew more complicated, as Chris was seen out with both women in the following months. For now, it appears that he's sticking with Rihanna, having spent both Christmas Day and New Year's with pop star. But on January 24, he still showed up to support Karrueche at her cover party for "Rolling Out" magazine, even giving her a kiss before he disappeared through a back entrance. She debuted a new boyfriend, J. Ryan La Cour, at the Grammy's on Feb. 10, but we still can't be sure we've seen the last of this crazy love triangle.
  • February 9, 2013- The day before the Grammy's, Chris crashed his Porsche into a wall in Beverly Hills while trying to escape the paparazzi. He tells police he lost control of the vehicle, which was totaled in the accident. Chris Doherty, owner of INF, the agency whose photographers were supposedly on the scene, claims that the paps in question didn't arrive until after the accident had already happened, saying, “No photographers were following him at the time he crashed. He crashed his car and it’s convenient for him to blame us. He needs to be careful with his defamatory statements."
  • January 27, 2013-present- Chris and his entourage were on the way out of L.A.'s Westlake Studio when Frank Ocean and his people got in their way. The two singers first feuded on Twitter in June 2011, and Frank was clearly not happy to see Chris, reportedly saying, "This is my studio, this is my parking spot."The fight became physical right after Chris went to shake Frank's hand, but there are conflicting reports over who threw the first punch. Frank, who's openly gay, told police he heard someone (he doesn't know who) yell, "F*****" and that Chris threatened to kill him. Chris fled the scene before the police arrived, and Frank was eventually hospitalized for minor injuries. He didn't press charges, and just days later beat out Chris for a Grammy. Virtually the entire audience gave him a standing ovation, but Chris remained seated, proving that he doesn't forgive as easily. Photos published from the event show Adele noticing Chris pout in his chair and address him in what seemed like a stern manner after the ceremony, but the songstress took to her Twitter to deny the claims on February 13, writing, "Chris Brown and I were complimenting each other in that photo actually!"
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