Dispatches from our Chicagoan in Hollywood, Liz Crokin:
Rihanna and Chris Brown are making it no secret that they’re back together and totally in love. The couple were spotted together all over Hollywood during Grammy weekend, hitting exclusive parties — and they didn’t refrain from the PDA. This may be a hard pill to swallow for some people, considering the fact that he physically assaulted her on the night of the Grammys four years ago. But many in her inner circle are happy about the reunion, including her family.
“Her family loves Chris!” an insider said. “She’s brought him back to Barbados, and they all are very fond of him. They’ve been hoping for years that they’d get back together. They even want the pair to get married!”
Sources say that even though they’ve been broken up for years, they never fell out of love with one another.
“Over the years, they have communicated and seen each other, but now it’s been long enough that they feel like they can be together again publicly,” said the source.
There are a couple of people who aren’t over the moon about the reconciliation: Chris’s ex, Karreuche Tran, and Jay-Z.
“Karreuche is still friendly with Chris and she’s still on his payroll,” a source said. “But his reunion with Rihanna has to sting. That’s why she stuck it to Chris by tweeting ‘congrats’ to his nemesis Frank Ocean for his Grammy win.”
Jay-Z also didn’t want RiRi to get back with Chris, but he’s respecting her decision.
“Jay-Z realizes that she’s a grown woman, and she’s going to do what she wants to do. He was cordial to Chris when he accompanied Rihanna to his pre-Grammy party at the Soho House,” the source said.
Katy and John still together
Even though Katy Perry and Muse drummer Dominic Howard got very cozy at the band’s afterparty in L.A. — as I reported a few weeks ago — she’s still with boyfriend John Mayer.
Katy and John hopped around Grammy events together last weekend and appeared to be very happy and in love.
“They’re still going strong!” a source said. “Even though their schedules conflict a lot, they’re always happy when they are reunited.”
John even told Rolling Stone, “I’m happy in all aspects of my life.”
But another source warns: “Don’t let that fool you! He’s still a bad boy and always will be — he’s just smarter about it now!”
If John messes up, at least Katy has Dominic waiting for her on the sidelines. The Muse drummer is infatuated with Katy, and it never hurts to have a backup plan!
