Rihanna is this month’s Rolling Stone magazine cover star and the Barbadian pop star has opened up for the first time, in-depth, since getting back together with Chris Brown.

Although Rihanna spoke frankly with Oprah Winfrey back in August 2012, there was still a shroud of mystery for some time over whether or not Rihanna and Chris Brown were a couple again. Brown was convicted of assaulting Rihanna on the eve of the 2009 Grammy Awards. She was his girlfriend at the time, though they subsequently split.

Acutely aware of the public backlash against her reconciliation with Chris Brown, Rihanna is determined to stand by her decision to resurrect their relationship. Speaking to Josh Eells, the magazine’s contributing editor, she explains “I decided it was more important for me to be happy… I wasn't going to let anybody's opinion get in the way of that. Even if it's a mistake, it's my mistake. After being tormented for so many years, being angry and dark, I'd rather just live my truth and take the backlash. I can handle it.” In a bid, perhaps, to allay the fears of her fans, concerned about her safety, Rihanna also stressed “He doesn’t have the luxury of f*cking up again. That’s just not an option… I wouldn’t have gone this far if I ever thought that was a possibility.”

Meanwhile, Chris Brown has made the headlines for getting into a fight with Frank Ocean at a recording studio. It appears that the argument may have been over a parking space and Brown has said that he’s happy to talk to police over the incident. 

Watch Rihanna posing for photos