An *S.O.S.* message for Rihanna

I am so sick of turning on the news media and seeing yet another public figure in trouble. We have Olympians getting caught smoking marijuana, TV stars with DUI charges, teen idols posting naked pictures online, sports players caught with steroids and even a former president receiving sexual favors in the Oval Office.

What gives?

I mean, if I were famous, I would watch my every step to make sure I didn’t do anything wrong. After all, there would be some 13-year-old somewhere looking up to me, right? Knowing that I was someone’s mentor would deter me from making bad decisions in the first place, and certainly, if I made a mistake, it would deter me from doing it again. Now multiply that one 13-year-old by the millions of Americans who consider themselves fans of Rihanna.

Her situation is a sad one and one that I hope people can learn from.

A few weeks ago, I turned on the news to see there had been allegations that R&B singer Chris Brown had beaten his girlfriend, the chart-topping and stunningly beautiful singer Rihanna. On the night before the Grammys – where they were supposed to perform together, no less.

Less than a week later, a picture of a beaten and bruised Rihanna leaked to the news media.

With 11 top 10 hits since her debut in 2005, Rihanna exploded onto the music scene, quickly becoming a household name. However, she is now the center of much controversy, especially as magazine covers reveal headlines such as “Rihanna: Her Side. Why she took Chris back – even as she faces surgery for her injuries” found on a recent issue of Us Weekly.

So, even as Chris Brown faces criminal charges that could send him to jail, Rihanna appears to be taking him back.

Are you kidding me?

She’s got the voice but apparently not the willpower to stand up for herself and realize that she deserves better.

An estimated 3 to 4 million women are abused by their husbands or partners yearly, and many of the women do not have the means or support to leave their abusers.

Rihanna, on the other hand, has plenty of money and many friends and relatives behind her. So is it her deep love for Chris Brown that has her turning back to the man that could have killed her? Trust me, Rihanna, there are plenty more men out there for you to date.

You’re a superstar at 21 with a still-booming career. Don’t waste any more time with this abusive jerk and risk it all. And don’t lose the fans that look up to you on so many levels. What kind of message are you sending them?

Simply that it is okay to go back to the man who has and will threaten not only your career, but your life as well?

Rihanna, this wasn’t your fault. But if you go back to him, you are knowingly putting yourself in harm’s way.

“Disturbia,” I know.