Chris Brown Partying with Rihanna Again?

Under the heading of “You can go back home again” (even if you once beat up your girlfriend and left her face a bloody mess), Chris Brown has been seen hanging out with Rihanna again. They were seen partying together for half an hour at Avenue nightclub in NYC.

Not only has Rihanna apparently forgiven Brown enough to be seen in public with him, her family is in on the deal, too. Last Saturday, Brown joined Rihanna, her grandfather and some cousins at Jay-Z’s 40/40 to watch the Miami Heat beat the Boston Celtics. A witness said that Brown’s girlfriend was absent, and Brown and Rihanna sat together and rooted for the Heat.

When Rihanna did her publicity tour after Brown’s initial beating, she had every right to public sympathy. After opting in with Brown again, she may find herself on less sympathetic ground.