Rihanna reveals she thought she could change Chris after assault

Rihanna has finally spoken out about why she rekindled her romance with Chris Brown after he assaulted her in 2009 and revealed she thought she could change the rapper. 

"I was very protective of him. I felt that people didn't understand him. Even after," the 27-year-old singer said in an interview with Vanity Fair. 

Rihanna acknowledged in the interview that even though they don't have much of a relationship now, she still has feelings for Chris. 

"I don't hate him. I will care about him until the day I die."

The Diamonds singer is constantly linked to other men, but in the interview she said that Chris remains her "last real boyfriend."

Mr Brown attacked Rihanna inside his Lamborghini the night before the 2009 Grammy Awards and photos of her bruised and swollen face were subsequently leaked to website TMZ.

Ri-Ri also said that she blames herself as much as him for when they rekindled their romance in late 2012. 

In 2013, she asked a judge to lift the restraining order she once had against him. She felt like his "guardian angel" and he just needed "someone to encourage him in a positive way and say the right thing."

But after all was said and done, the singer revealed that she was a constant reminder to him of what he had done and she realised that her willingness to put up with his behaviour meant he would never really respect her. 

"Sometimes you just have to walk away."