TMZ Rihanna Photo Shows Her Beaten and Bruised

TMZ has posted a picture of a beaten up and bruised Rihanna. You can see the TMZ Rihanna photo here.

The TMZ Rihanna photo comes with an attached statement from the police; they want to know who leaked the TMZ Rihanna photo. The statement says that "the photograph has the appearance of one taken during an official Domestic Violence investigation."

At the time of this writing, the TMZ Rihanna photo has received 1,518 comments. The substance of the comments run the gamut - from the usual obnoxious comments you oftentimes find on such websites to those that reflect a heartfelt concern for Rihanna and battered women in general. Some question whether the TMZ Rihanna photo was photo shopped; some condemn the TMZ Rihanna photo as an invasion of privacy.

That the police would attach a statement to the TMZ Rihanna photo, however, suggests in no uncertain terms that they, at the very least, suspect that it is authentic. And, that, in turn, is troubling, for the bruises and injuries shown in the picture are quite extensive. Rihanna was beaten up pretty viciously.

One commenter on the TMZ website notes that the picture is the face of domestic violence. And if the leaking of this picture raises awareness of this terribly serious and pervasive crime, than it has done some good. It might inspire someone who is the victim of domestic violence - or knows someone who is - to get help.

It is no secret that the perpetrator of the brutal beating of Rihanna is allegedly her boyfriend, singer-songwriter Chris Brown. On February 8, after he allegedly got into an argument with Rihanna, Chris Brown turned himself in to the Los Angeles Police Department where he was subsequently arrested and charged with domestic assault.

As a result of the allegations noted above, Wrigley suspended all advertisements featuring Chris Brown, and will not reinstate them until his legal issues are resolved. According to the Los Angeles Times, Brown has since hired high-profile defense attorney Mark Geragos (some of his most famous clients include Winona Ryder and Michael Jackson).

Chris Brown is going to need all the help he can get. And not just legal help, but psychological counseling as well. One look at the TMZ Rihanna photo makes that abundantly clear.

Sources:

Rihanna - The Face of a Battered Woman, TMZ