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From E! Online:
For anyone who thinks that Rihanna's "Man Down" music video is over-the-top and simply out to grab headlines, Gabrielle Union has a message for you: It's not. In fact, tragically, it's very true to life.
After being asked by a fan about her response to the controversial clip, the actress opened up about her own abusive past, and revealed a heartbreaking parallel between the video's story and her own: namely, that she, too, once tried to shoot the man who raped her.
In particular, hers.
The topic came up last week, when Union was soliciting ideas from her followers on how to better combat violence against women and kids. When a fan asked her what she thought of the Rihanna video, the 38-year-old star responded with unexpected honesty and candor.
"I haven't seen it yet," she tweeted. "I'll let everyone know my thoughts on it when I do."
A few days later, she had.
"Saw 'Man Down' by @rihanna. Every victim/survivor of rape is unique, including how they THINK they'd like justice 2 be handed out," she tweeted.
"During my rape I tried 2 shoot my rapist, bt I missed. Over the yrs I realized tht killin my rapist would've added insult 2 injury. The DESIRE 2 kill someone whose abused/raped u is understandable, bt unless its self defense n the moment 2 save ur life, just ADDS 2 ur troubles #mandown."
Comments: (37)
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By: KL on 6/07/2011 1:30PM
Sorry Gabby, just go buy Rhianna's CD and spare us. Everyone is running to this chicks defense but she doesn't want to be a role model to rape or abuse victims. She wants to be a sexed up gyrating mindless pop tart. I've always liked Gabby although her career started based on her face (I remember story you told agent lied on your acting resume) and not real talent! I know I know Nia Long and Regina King. Always gets back to the face not talent! hahahaha
Gabby go speak to "real" rape/abuse victims are in college etc. trying to get their lives together especially if they're mothers. Rhianna is a waste of time. Her MALE handlers want record sales not pathetic enabling abuse speeches.....
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By: andria on 6/07/2011 1:55PM
Amen KL!! Rihanna is simply another beta-programmed pawn who will do whatever her handlers want(just like Beyonce). Also there is a glaring difference between Gabrielle's experience and Rihanna's video. Her act of shooting her attacker would have been classified as self-defense...Rihanna's was premeditated murder.
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By: Gichaya on 6/09/2011 4:51PM
Sad, but in today society people will do or say almost anything for publicity. Gabby's last brush with the media was totally negative. It was regarding her basketball boyfriend and his beef with his wife whom he had not divorced when he started dating Gabby. Soooooooo, I guess she thinks that defending Ri is something positive....NOT. Rihanna is a media "HOE" and I am convinced that she does some of this ish to keep herself in the media. Thank God Chris Brown walked away from the lil heffa.
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By: Jessica on 6/07/2011 3:02PM
Speaking of @Gichaya's mentioning the D-Wade situation: I really wanted to hate on Gabrielle. But I really can't!!! It turns out that she has more depth to her than I (or maybe anyone else) originally thought. She's beautiful, kind, understated and A SURVIVOR. I've never heard her rape story, and now that I know one more piece about her as a person, I really can't hate on her. I'm starting to admire the crap out of her. She might be my new Halle Berry, i.e. I love to hate her, but I can't hate her because she such a genuinely good person.
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By: Clinesha18 on 6/07/2011 3:13PM
Rappers rap about shootin' a N*gga that has tried them. Did they really get tried or is it just to be relevent and make them sales? Also, do we know if here or in her homeland she wasn't raped or close with someone who was? No, we do not.
What about tv? CSI, Without A Trace and other shows that show blood and gore in primetime and give sick minded people ideas on how to commit criminal acts? Why abolish RiRi video only? None of the sh*t is wholesome to watch, but don't single her out.
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By: garricksray on 6/07/2011 4:32PM
I really don't like Rihanna, but you're right. Its a race issue, always has been, always will be. Whites are allowed a different degree of expression than blacks.
Hip-hop violence also occurs in "real life", though it shouldn't be glorified. Violence in black videos is deemed intolerable. First guns were blurred in videos, then vocally edited out of videos and finally they weren't allowed at all.
Not so with whites, just check out the lyrics for Aerosmith's "Jamie's got a gun", which also had a video.
http://www.justsomelyrics.com/462618/Aerosmith-Jamie's-got-a-gun-Lyrics
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By: "DimePiece" on 6/07/2011 3:19PM
@Gichaya
What up gurl. LOLOLOL!!! Ain't that the TRUTH! Look, Gabbi need to sit her AZZ down somewhere and let Ri's Video take the HARD CRITICISM! This video should be BANNED for LIFE! I didn't see no message and I don't care if Ri said in the video she was sorry she shot the guy it doesn't make it RIGHT! This girl still needs help. Violence, SEX, ect.. is not the ANSWER in your TRASHY & VIOLENT VIDEOS! Ri, is going to explode any min... I say this, if she really cares about victims like her out there, get ya some help and then reach out to them by going to different communities, reach out on BET (the younger teens), make it OFFICIAL and teach about awareness, knowledge, support groups, ect... BE REAL, BE MATURE, and help OTHERS in a POSITIVE WAY! Stop thinking about yourself RI!
PEACE.
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By: niki on 6/07/2011 5:12PM
Great video. I loved it. If more women felt that way and acted upon it, rape would go down drastically. We are not victims of violence, control or rape. We have a voice and we are free. Go Rihanna....you are the best! Kill the bastards since our system looks the other way.
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By: miss shirley on 6/07/2011 5:20PM
once again a tall dark muscular black man is shot and Rhianna calls it art.
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By: claretha moore on 6/07/2011 5:37PM
why do people put other people down to disagree with them? Especially black people when it comes to black people. If you disagree..fine., but be intelligent about it. We often get off on call ourselves dirty names. Come on people, when will you learn!! The majority of the time its uneducated, nothing going for themselves, ghetto fabulous people.
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