Rihanna Fans Speak Out About Her 'Good Morning America' Appearance

'I'm glad that she finally took the time to address it,' one fan says of Rihanna's comments on Chris Brown assault.

NEW YORK — After months of silence, Rihanna spoke out about Chris Brown's assault on her earlier this year in an interview that aired Thursday (November 5) on "Good Morning America." and will continue on "20/20" Friday night. In it, a visibly emotional Rihanna explains to Diane Sawyer her thoughts and feelings about the assault, saying that she is "embarrassed" to have loved someone like Chris Brown.

MTV News went into Times Square to get fans' reactions to Rihanna's appearance. Most Rihanna fans supported her and even thought that the statements were empowering.

Rashada, 22, said, "I'm glad that she finally took the time to address it.  It was really heartfelt and I'm glad that she said what she needed to get across, because sometimes when you're that far in love those things happen and you can't get out of it."

Johanna, 21, agreed. "I think she's proved that she's a strong, independent woman by handling this very maturely, even though she's very young."

Alexis, 18, had some sympathy for Brown. "I truly feel that what happened with them was an honest mistake," she said.

Others questioned Rihanna's motives for choosing this time to speak out. DeAndrea, 26, was skeptical. "I think it's [Rihanna's] way of creating her own kind of controversy. Like, why would you let it go on for this long and then want to say something ... And even when [he talked about the assault in interviews], he never really disrespected her by telling the details of what happened."

Even more skeptical was Nancy, 25. "Her new album is coming out and she needs a little publicity, so she wants to go around and talk about it. I think everyone's over it," she said.

Others said they think people can benefit from Rihanna's comments. Joe, 25, said, "Personally I'm glad that she's speaking out because lots of girls her age — and girls younger than her — go through experiences like this."

Kate, 18, said, "We have to look inside our own lives and learn from what we see on TV, and not only pay attention to that but pay attention to our own lives. We have to use to it enhance ourselves and our relationships with the people around us."

Go here for domestic-violence resources, or check out Think MTV for a video handbook on spotting the warning signs of abuse.