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Rihanna has been named one of Glamour's 2009 Women of the Year in the magazine's December issue.
Rihanna says she's learned a lot from her high-profile domestic violence incident involving her former boyfriend, singer Chris Brown.
Brown, 20, was ordered to go for counseling and do community service work after he pleaded guilty to assaulting Rihanna, 21, last February. Since then, Rihanna has kept a low profile concerning the incident, however she spoke out publicly for the first time about it with Glamour magazine:
"It has taught me so much. I went to sleep as Rihanna and woke up as Britney Spears. That was the level of media chaos that happened the next day. It was like: 'What? There are helicopters circling my house? There are 100 people in my cul-de-sac? What do you mean, I can't go back home?'
Rihanna also told Glamour that she was mortified when a photo of her battered face made the rounds on the Internet shortly after the incident:
"That is not a photo you would show to anybody. I felt completely taken advantage of...like people were making it into a fun topic...and it's my life. I was disappointed, especially when I found out the photo was (allegedly leaked by) two women."
Rihanna said she hopes other people will be able to learn from her personal experience.
"Domestic violence is a big secret. My story was broadcast all over the world for people to see, and they have followed every step of my recovery. The positive thing that has come out of my situation is that people can learn from that."
image credit: PRNewsFoto/Glamour, Matthias Vriens-McGrath
