R&B singer Rihanna confessed she is still in love with ex-boyfriend Chris Brown during a broadcast interview with Oprah Winfrey on Sunday.
The star, who ended her relationship with the rapper three years ago after he violently beat her up, admitted to Winfrey that Brown could be the "love of my life."
Reuters reports Brown was convicted of assaulting Rihanna in 2009 after the 2009 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. He was sentenced to five years probation, community service, domestic violence counseling and was issued a restraining order.
The restraining order was lifted last year, allowing the two performers to join in the studio to collaborate on two songs, "Birthday Cake" and "Turn Up the Music." The collaboration fueled speculations that they were back together.
Although the singer maintained that they are not a couple, Brown is currently in another relationship, she did admit that they are staying close.
"We have maintained a very close friendship ever since the restraining order was dropped," Rihanna said. "We just worked on it, little by little, and it has not been easy...We built a trust again and that's it. We love each other and we probably always will and that's not anything we're gonna try to change."
The singer's interview with Winfrey has received some backlash from domestic violence organizations and fans, HuffPost Celebrity reports. Others, however, have praised the interview for its openness.