During a fun game of “truth or drink” with media personality Omar, Jordin Sparks described Grammy night 2009 when she learned on the red carpet that her “No Air” duet partner, Chris Brown, had been arrested after brutally assaulting his girlfriend Rihanna. “No Air” was nominated for an award that year. They didn’t win.
Omar had an issue with the American Idol and Dancing with the Stars alum’s recent surprise “No Air” duet performance with Chris Brown in Las Vegas. But not for the reasons one might think. Both Jordin and Omar are mad that it took 17 years for the two to get back together again. Jordin is itching to collaborate with Chris again, and Omar thinks she should.
“It wasn’t because I didn’t want to,” Jordin commenting on why the reunion took so long. “So everybody watching, just so you know!” Noted, Jordin. “I hope that we get to do more stuff together, and this time, there’ll definitely be more performances.”
Jordin described what happened at the 2009 Grammy awards when news of the assault broke
Omar asked Jordin what happened to her during the Grammys, which took place almost two years after she won American Idol in 2007. “I found out like everybody else,” she said, revealing that she’s telling the story in public for the first time. “We were nominated for Best Pop R&B Collaboration. As soon as I stepped foot on that red carpet I had both of the label publicists coming up to me and going ‘you know nothing’.” Jordin had no idea what they were talking about. “I really didn’t know anything! I didn’t go to Clive’s party.” That’s former RCA executive Clive Davis, who held a big pre-Grammy party every year. Chris and Rihanna were on their way to the event when the assault occurred.
“As the night progresses, it’s Google alerts. And more and more people started getting the news about it.” Jordin continued, “And I’m sitting just looking at everyone like ‘I don’t know’.” Jordin reminds everyone, “I was also a kid. I’m 18 years old at this point.” Then, her phone began lighting up with alerts, “I am just like ‘oh my God’ as she waited through all the categories.
“I think the powers that be had a hand in [it]”
At the time, Jordin felt like they had a good shot at winning the award, because “the song was huge.” But then the winners turned out to be Alison Krauss and Robert Plant, which left Jordin confused. “I was just so blown, and I just couldn’t believe it.”
“A lot of stuff that happened after that was not me,” said Jordin. “But I think the powers that be had a hand in [it]. Jordin added, “That was a really tough time for me because I just didn’t understand. I didn’t get it. I also didn’t know about the ins and outs of the industry and the puppetry and the hands that can go into a lot of things.
Jordin defends Chris Brown, despite his history of violent incidents
Jordin has publicly defended Chris Brown against his detractor.
“Honestly, I think that shouldn’t even be a conversation anymore,” Jordin shared with TMZ about the AMAs reportedly cancelling his scheduled Michael Jackson tribute last year. “It’s about his talent. They just shouldn’t have cancelled the performance, that’s how I feel about it.” She added, “People deserve to grow and learn and be able to live their life without things hanging over them. Everybody deserves that. Him especially.”
However, after the incident with Rihanna, Chris was involved withmore violent incidents. For instance, in June 2017, his former girlfriend Karrueche Tran won a five year restraining order against him. In 2018, he was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.
For what it’s worth, in 2009, Jordin said this about the incident in an interview with MTV: “I don’t know him on a personal level like that. It’s just a really sad situation, ” says Jordin. And about Brown allegedly beating his girlfriend, singer Rihanna, Jordin says, “It’s just not okay. It doesn’t matter if you started it or he started it.”
