'Black and Bleu' Burger Named for Chris Brown and Rihanna Causes Outrage
Chops & Hops steakhouse in Georgia has sparked outrage with its creation and promotion of a burger known as the "black and bleu" as a riff on the domestic violence between pop icons Chris Brown and Rihanna.
"Chris Brown won't beat you up for eating this unless your name starts with a R and ends with A," the restaurant said on its Facebook page. It didn't take people long to put two and two together to realize they were referencing Rihanna. The couple dated in 2009 and an instance of domestic violence led to Rihanna filing charges against Brown.
Much was made of the very visible bruises, and Brown was promptly arrested and fell in public opinion. He served time and made his public comeback at the 2012 Grammy Awards, but not everyone was thrilled at his appearance.
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"Trying not to go off on a rant, but Chris Brown … have we forgiven him?" tweeted Michelle Branch.
Brown and Rihanna have since collaborated on several tracks, fueling talk that they may get back together.
"We did two records, one for my fans, one for his fans, and that way our fans can come together. There shouldn't be a divide, you know? It's music and it's innocent," Rihanna told Ryan Seacrest.
Chops & Hops also took to Twitter to promote the 'black and bleu' sandwich.
"Chris Brown and Rihanna and us teamed up for a (sic) award winning celebrity sandwich. Put your hands on this Caribbean black and bleu sandwich." People immediately commented on the burger, calling it inappropriate and making light of victims in violent situations.
"The owners of C&H would like to make sure everyone knows that we and our staff DO NOT SUPPORT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE," they posted on their Facebook page. "Many of us have been affected by domestic violence in some manner and realize that this is no joke," they added.
In response to the outcry, Chops & Hops has agreed to donate six times the amount of money made on burgers to Project Safe Team 6, a local non-profit that addresses issues and helps victims of domestic violence.
There has been no comment or reaction by either Brown or Rihanna.
