Chris Brown Reacts To Rihanna’s Breakup: Why ‘News That She’s Single Is A Big Deal For Him’

Chris Brown ‘still has a very strong connection to anything that comes with Rihanna,’ so he didn’t miss the report about her split with Hassan Jameel. However, the news came at ‘bad timing,’ a source tells HollywoodLife.

Naturally, all eyes were on Chris Brown, 30, after a report claimed Rihanna, 31, split from Saudi billionaire Hassan Jameel, 31, on Jan. 17. Likewise, Breezy’s eyes — or ears — didn’t miss that report, we’ve learned! “Chris still has a very strong connection to anything that comes with Rihanna so the news that she’s single again is a big deal for him,” a source EXCLUSIVELY tells HollywoodLife. But, the situation is a bit complicated. Chris is now a father of two, after welcoming his first son Aeko with Ammika Harris, 26, in Nov. 2019. And there are rumors that Ammika is much more than a co-parent to Chris.

“It’s bad timing, to say the least, because he’s in such a good place with Ammika,” our source continues. “They’re trying to see where things could go with them, and throwing Rihanna into the mix is going to end any chance of that working out.” Chris and Ammika first sparked romance rumors in 2015, and although Breezy has been tied to other women in the years since, such speculation has of course resurfaced with the arrival of the baby. Chris and Ammika even got fans talking about a rumored engagement, since both parents have been seen wearing similar sets of diamond rings in recent weeks! Still, “Rihanna is [Chris’] first love,” our source says, adding that “in a lot of ways, it would be a dream come true for him to get her back.”

As for the chance of Chris and Rihanna getting back together, “the odds of it actually happening are very, very low,” our source tells us. “That ship has sailed and everyone is hoping Chris is smart enough to realize that.” However, the R&B singer’s mind is not only on Rihanna because of her reported split, according to a second source.

“Around this time for Chris, it is hard to not think about Rihanna. We are getting close to the Grammys and that is when the incident between the two happened, so he always takes this time to reflect on himself and see how much he has changed,” a second source EXCLUSIVELY tells HollywoodLife. Eleven years ago, on the night of the Grammy Awards, a fight between Chris and Rihanna escalated into Chris physically assaulting Rihanna. Chris’ ex was left “battered,” “bleeding” and “swollen” in her face, which she later recalled in a 20/20 interview with Diane Sawyer. Of course, the relationship was broken off afterwards, although they did temporarily reunite between 2012-2013.

“He really loved Rihanna so he definitely keeps tabs on who she is dating or not dating. It kind of screws with his psyche but at the same time he has to live his life, he is a father and he needs to move on,” our second insider continues. “If Rihanna is happy, he will be happy. He doesn’t like hearing she is broken up and most likely heartbroken but he knows she will be OK and that makes him feel OK. Chris will always have a soft spot for Rihanna but is confident that she will have better days ahead.”