Rihanna: 'I'm Stronger and Wiser Now'

Rihanna speaks out in Glamour's December issue.

2009 wasn't exactly the best year of Rihanna's life, but she's ending things on a high note: Glamour has named the singer one of their 2009 Women of the Year -- and now she's speaking out to the mag for the first time about the Chris Brown incident and the message she wants to send out to young women everywhere.

Rihanna Speaks Out in Glamour

"It taught me so much," she says of being assaulted by her ex-boyfriend and the aftermath that followed. "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?"

Making the media circus even worse was the fact that photos of her badly bruised face circulated on the Internet.

"That is not a photo you would show to anybody," she says. "I felt completely taken advantage of. I felt like people were making it into a fun topic on the Internet, and it's my life. I was disappointed, especially when I found out the photo was [supposedly leaked by] two women."

When Rihanna's not busy entertaining her fans, she provides educational, social, and medical support to children in need through her Believe Foundation.

So how did she cope?

"My friends and family have been extremely supportive, and everyone has been there for me," she shares. "But at some point you are there alone. It's a lonely place to be -- no one can understand. That's when you get close to God."

As a result, Rihanna insists she "stronger, wiser, and more aware. You don't realize how much your decisions affect people you don't even know, like fans."

That's why she's decided it's so important for her to open up about what happened on that awful February night.



"I want to give as much insight as I can to young women ... to help speak for them," she notes. "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. Domestic violence is a big secret. I want to give as much insight as I can to young women, because I feel like I represent a voice that really isn't heard. Now I can help speak for those women."

She also went back into the studio and poured her heart and soul into a new album, Rated R, which drops November 23.

"I've put everything I've wanted to say for the past eight months into my music," she reveals. "[My new album] is super fearless -- which is exactly how I feel right now. I am in a really good place."

Rihanna simply shines in a strapless Balmain dress. Matthias Vriens-McGrath/Glamour

As for relationships, Rihanna isn't afraid to give romance another chance.

"I want to find love in the next 10 years," she asserts. "That will be pretty annoying if I am 31 and still have never been in love!"

Jon Gosselin: I Want To Apologize To Kate

Jon Gosselin has confirmed he is "slowing things down" from girlfriend Hailey Glassman in an effort to redeem himself and become a better person.

The reality star, 32, began a public dialogue Sunday night with celebrity Rabbi Shmuley Boteach by saying he "doesn't get" why the media is "obsessed" with him.

"Thank you guys for showing up tonight, but please, stop showing up," he told reporters at New York City's West Side Jewish Center.

"I didn't ask for this [fame]," he added. "I hardly ever go out in New York because of it. The paparazzi are everywhere here."

Can you guess which pumpkin looks like Jon and Kate?

He then discussed his 10-year marriage to estranged wife Kate, revealing why they decided to have eight kids together.

"That's what God wanted us to do," he said.

See how Jon Gosselin and other men have changed their looks over the years

He said that when Kate became pregnant with the sextuplets, they had the option to abort some of the babies, but they "decided to keep all of them for religious reasons."

After having twins Mady and Cara, "we were praying to God for one more baby, and He gives us six!" Gosselin said. "We werent going to be like, 'Thanks God, but we dont want them.' I wasnt going to shake my fist at God.

Gosselin then delved back into how he wishes he were never famous. "I don't want this. I never invited any of this," he said. "All of a sudden I saw our marriage deteriorating. We were just trying to fix our marriage, but we couldn't because of the circumstances."

Added Gosselin, "Our marriage started to go downhill in October of last year." The network TLC - which recently filed a breach of contract suit against him - "wanted us to stay married," he said.

See the ugliest family feuds of all time

"They were talking about branding and marketing, and we were just trying to think about our kids." The show began to cause even more problems in their marriage, he said.

First, "They film conflict but not resolve. When Kate and I fought, we almost always resolved it, but you never saw that. They wanted to make it good cop, bad cop, so Kate was made out to be domineering, and I was just the laid-back one."

The second problem: Rigorous filming.

"We had no break until December of last year," he said. He then accused producers of trying "to create even more drama. They want train wrecks and they do what they have to to get them."

Added Gosselin, "They were promoting our dissolving marriage on TV!"

See Jon Gosselin and other stars who feel like they've found a soulmate

Still, Gosselin said he attempted to save their marriage.

Off camera, "I tried to get Kate to go to counseling, and she just didn't want anything to do with it. I went alone, because I figured it couldn't hurt, but it obviously isn't effective in the same way when both people aren't there."

By January of this past year, "I knew our marriage was over. If one person is trying, and the other person isn't, you start feeling neglected. And, of course, its not going to work."

He added, "I was getting no intimacy, no sensitivity from Kate. I felt emasculated and undesirable." He recalled how on January 17, "My friends called and said they were going out. I said, 'Kate, I'm going out,' and she said, 'No, youre not,' and then I left."

Look back the Gosselin family in happier times

Jon said, "Half of the stuff that Ive done, I shouldnt have done. I chose fame because it made me feel better about myself." "When youre not getting positive reinforcement at home, you're going to get it somewhere else. I was looking for the affirmation at the clubs and bars that I wasn't getting from Kate at home. I think I was giving love, and it was being reciprocated back to me. I didn't feel respected. She always said I was the ninth child, and I felt like the ninth child."

He said he doesn't want to make "the same mistakes with Hailey [Glassman] that I did with Kate," so they are taking a break. "There has never been like, 'Kids, this your new stepmother,' he said of his relationship with the 22-year old. "But we've decided to slow things down and so for right now we're taking a break."

See how Jon and Kate Gosselin celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary

"The media is calling Hailey a homewrecker," he added. "There are only two homewreckers and their names are mom and dad. We are the ones who filed for divorce."

Before leaving Jon said, "I want to apologize to Kate in private for having public relationships, because if she had done that to me, I would have been pissed. Looking back on it, it seems like a knife in the back. Hailey and I talked about it and we said we never should have gone to France. We had no idea it was going to be like that."

Burglar Bunch Suspect Up To Her Neck In Trouble

It seems one of the female suspects in the Hollywood Hills Burglar Bunch has the exact same taste in jewelry as Lindsay Lohan -- because it appears she photographed herself in a necklace LiLo used to wear.

5peekon!t has obtained a photo, found inside a computer believed to have been used by the Burglar bunch, showing Courtney Ames rocking a beaded rosary type necklace which appears to be identical to one that Lindsay Lohan wore out and about in 2008.

Lindsay's necklace was eventually stolen from her home during a string of celebrity heists, allegedly executed by the Burglar Bunch.

This new photo seems to add more weight to the theory that the Bunch targeted particular items before they hit the celebrity homes -- like watches worn by Audrina Patridge, Paris Hilton and Lindsay.

La Toya Jackson Serves Up--The Crazy

Dressed as Um?? ... your guess is as good as ours ... La Toya Jackson showed up at Millions of Milkshakes last night to work behind the counter to raise money for AIDS Project LA.

Baby Eminem

West Side!-- hi my name is
hi my name is
Slim Baby!

Yo man i'm not cute, stop it imma gangsta

Guess Who I Saw!!!

Look carefully, no they're not twins--one of them is Glenn Close age 62

Happy Halloween!!

Amy Wine house Before & Crafter

Parents just be careful what you say to your children--i'm just sayin

Parent's: Come on amy you can do it just take a crack at it

paparazzi: hey Amy how are you-- I'm Crackterrific thank you!

Playmate: My Big Tuna BF Beat Me With A Bat

Yes boob 11 what is it mam--yeah hello he's trying to pop my boob bags please hurry!

A former Playmate of the Year is suing the ex-boyfriend she claims brutalized her, threatened to kill her family .... and even attempted to pop her breast implants.

Dalene Kurtis, who won the Playmate title in 2002, wants $10 million from ex-BF James Daren Metropoulos, heir to the Bumblebee Tuna fortune.

Dalene claims, among other things, James

-- Beat her in the ribs with a baseball bat
-- Called her a "f**king whore," "ungrateful b*tch," and "ugly old Playmate"
-- Stomped on her chest and stomach
-- Choked her
-- Grabbed, punched, and kicked her
-- Spit on her

Dalene won a temporary restraining order against James early last month.

Maria Shriver Apologizes -- Oops, I Did It Again!

eeh eeh eeh eeeeh! i'mma do it again

Maria Shriver is sorry. Again.

The First Lady of California released a statement through her office this afternoon, apologizing for her latest driving gaffe -- parking in a red zone this weekend for over an hour.

Earlier this month, Maria was caught on tape driving while on a cell phone -- three separate times -- a big no-no in California. Maria apologized for that one too.

Maybe now she's learned her lesson.

Springsteen Cancels Show After Family Death

Bruce Springsteen canceled a concert in Kansas City tonight after his cousin, Lenny Sullivan, was found dead in his hotel room -- a source close to the band tells us.

Springsteen announced the death on his official website, saying it was a "death in the family."

We're told Sullivan worked for Springsteen for 10 years as an assistant tour manager.

Cops and paramedics responded to the hotel where Bruce and the band were staying at around 4:15 PM. Sullivan was found dead in the hotel and circumstances are currently under investigation.