TMZ’s battered-Rihanna photo

What a graphic image could reveal about Chris Brown's alleged assault

Gossip website TMZ yesterday released what appears to be an image of Rihanna after the alleged Chris Brown assault, said BET.com, and “it’s worse than you thought.” Not only is the photo really “hard to look at” (click here to see TMZ’s photo), it’s hard to imagine “what could possibly drive someone to do this to another human being.”

What’s worse, said Perez Hilton, is that the “picture was taken very soon after Rihanna's horrific beating, so it was BEFORE the full extent of bruising and swelling could manifest.” What that “monster” Chris Brown seems to have done is “beyond horrible and inexcusable,” and “our heart breaks for Rihanna.”

But all the facts aren’t in yet, said the Associated Press in MSNBC.com. “TMZ did not say how it obtained the photo, when it was taken, or by whom.” The Los Angeles Police Department claims that it “had not released images of the woman who accused Brown,” and “a spokeswoman for the district attorney said all evidence related to the case is still with police.”