Did Chris Brown Get a Tattoo of Rihanna on His Neck After 2009 Assault? Rumor Explained

Chris Brown has sported a controversial tattoo on his neck since 2012, which has been rumored to be of a battered Rihanna. Fans now have their answer about the questionable inking.

Did Chris Brown Get a Tattoo of Rihanna on His Neck?

No, according to him. “His tattoo is a sugar skull (associated with the Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead) and a MAC cosmetics design he saw,” Chris’ rep told ABC News in September 2012. “It is not Rihanna or an abused woman as erroneously reported.”

The spokesperson noted at the time that the ink was peeling and didn’t look like the original design the “With You” singer had in mind.

Over time, Chris added more tattoos to the side of his neck, making the original ink barely visible.

What Does the Tattoo on Chris Brown’s Neck Show?

The tattoo showed a woman’s face who appeared to have a black eye and lip stitches, which some fans had believed was about his assault of then-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009.

What Happened Between Chris Brown and Rihanna?

Chris was arrested for assaulting Rihanna in their car after leaving a pre-Grammys party in February 2009. The “Diamonds” singer suffered physical injuries to her face and needed hospitalization.

On March 5, 2009, the “Go Crazy” artist was charged with felony assault and making criminal threats. Chris went on to plead guilty to a felony on June 22, 2009, and ended up taking a plea deal that spared him of any jail time. He was given five years probation, required to attend domestic violence course and perform 180 days of community service.

“I have enough self-respect and decency to be proud of accomplishing this DV class. Boyz run from [their] mistakes. Men learn from them!!!” Chris wrote in a 2010 Twitter post after completing his yearlong domestic violence counseling. He finally finished his 1,400 hours of community service in 2012.

What Has Chris Brown Said About His Tattoos?

Chris Brown explained some of his many tattoos to JAGUA body art in 2015.

“I got most of these tattoos early. On my 13th birthday I was like, ‘Mom, I want a tattoo.’ She’s like, (high pitched voice) ‘You ain’t gettin’ no tattoo!’ So, I went against her will and got one, but I told her it was positive so then she liked it. That first one is basically Jesus with the music notes signifying he gave me the gift to sing,” he explained.

“I recently got this one [a skull with a halo over it on his hand]. I got it the day after my 18th birthday and it signifies when you die, when you’re buried, your flesh deteriorates and all that’s left is your bones and the memory of you, it’s your bones, but you an angel. I wanted to do something that’s not demonic, so I put a halo over it to make something positive,” Chris continued. “And then this one, these is ninjas but Darkness to Light was about my life, me being a kid but being bad, being with the wrong crowd, doing the wrong things, but following my own path. This is the demon that I used to fight when I was younger, this is the angel, they just battled.”

The Grammy winner’s most recent tattoo was of his daughter Lovely’s name on his forehead, which he debuted in September 2024.

Chris Brown Is the Subject of a New Documentary Exploring His Domestic Violence Allegations

Chris Brown: A History of Violence will launch Investigation Discovery’s third annual No Excuse for Abuse campaign on October 27, 2024.

In the teaser trailer for the documentary, a woman is heard saying in a voiceover, “Chris Brown’s an amazing and talented musician, but let’s call a thing a thing. He’s an abuser of women. Consistently, unapologetically.”

“With expert and cultural commentary layered throughout, the documentary provides thoughtful reflections into each survivor’s experience and the psychological destruction in the aftermath of their abuse,” the film’s producers said in a statement.