As we were the first to tell you, ABC didn't plan on filing a complaint against recent Good Morning America guest Chris Brown when he destroyed part of his dressing room this week. Quite the opposite: After host Robin Roberts' questions about Rihanna and Brown's legal woes infuriated the star so much that he threw a chair through a plate-glass window, GMA extended him another invitation to come back on the show!
Indeed, sources at ABC have confirmed to me that producers want to "milk this event for everything its worth," high moral news standards (and, one assumes, laws, especially those involving convicted felons and their subsequent behavior) be damned. And not only was Brown's upcoming Dancing With the Stars appearance next week not canceled, as we predicted, guess what other media deal ABC wants to build with bad-boy Brown?
A reality show, perhaps?
"No, that would never happen here," said a top-level ABC insider, who knows the current situation regarding Brown very well. "What's far more likely is orchestrating Chris Brown talking to Rihanna for the first time."
I'm assured that's a top get to get at the network right now—especially now that all things Brown have electrified the media so much. And just who would be doing the interview, Diane Sawyer?
"No, she would never do it," the insider said matter of factly. "It would be Robin [Roberts]."
This is just too rich. The very woman who had the kiss-ass interview with Tiger Woods, and who then made up for it by not letting Brown off the hook for beating up Rihanna, now wants to help bring them back together for some kind of touchy-feeling moment?
"It's all about the ratings," replied my ABC source. "At all other costs."
We have asked reps for both Rihanna and Brown if they are aware of this cozy-chat interest on ABC's part yet, and if so, are they even interested?
We've also asked what Rihanna thinks about Brown's dressing-room tirade. Does she find it all a little too déjà vu?
We sure as hell did. ‘Cause that was a helluva lot more than "letting off a little steam," dude.
You know it. We know it. Rihanna knows it.
